Hamburger Soup

Recently I invited a friend for dinner and told him that it wasn't going to be a gourmet dinner but more like what Grandma used to serve. He quickly replied, "Great! I love Grandma food!" Actually, I didn't get this recipe from my Grandma, who was an immigrant from Switzerland. A good friend gave it to me years ago and I make it whenever I crave something warm and comforting for dinner.

If you're a Weight Watchers member, you know that WW has enhanced its Zero-Point food list to include, among other foods, lean beef and potatoes. That brings this recipe down to a mere 1 WW point per serving. If you're not a Weight Watcher, this means that you can go ahead and enjoy a bowlful to your (healthy) heart's content.

I’ve included cooking directions for both the Stovetop and the Instant Pot. However you stir up this soup, it will likely become one of your fall/winter favorites. Not only is it packed with a variety of healthy vegetables, including potatoes ( ! ), it’s so low in fat, calories and WW Points, you’ll have room for a hunk of crusty bread. Bonus: Leftovers are even better after a day in the fridge.

2 tsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 lb. extra-lean ground beef or 93% lean ground turkey

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. Salt

4 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 cups diced potato (Russet or Yukon gold)

2-3 cups mixed frozen vegetables (such as green beans, corn, peas and carrots)

1 (15-oz.) can diced tomatoes

3 Tbsp. tomato paste

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Stovetop Directions: Sauté the onion, celery and ground beef in a Dutch oven until the onions are softened and the beef is lightly browned. Add remaining ingredients, partially cover and simmer on Medium-Low until the potatoes are tender and vegetables are cooked. Easy Peasy, albeit a bit longer than the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Directions: Turn on the Sauté function on your Instant Pot. Add olive oil, onion and celery and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add beef and break it apart into smaller pieces while it cooks. Season the beef with garlic powder and salt. Continue to sauté until beef is browned and cooked. Turn off Sauté function and pour in the broth.

Layer the remaining ingredients in the following order: add the Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, diced potato, frozen vegetables, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and bay leaves. Do not stir.

Close the lid and pressure cook on high for 6 minutes. Release pressure a bit at a time. Remove bay leaves, adjust salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 6

WW Points per serving: 1