Don’t cook much? Quick and hearty soup is as easy as 1-2-3

It’s a big deal whenever my parents cook.

We’ve been a microwave family for as long as I can remember. It stems mostly from convenience, not laziness. In other words, we don’t feel compelled to cook unless it’s almost as easy as pressing a few buttons.

My dad’s quick and hearty soup is the perfect solution.

It has green beans, peas, corn, ground beef, carrots, onions, beef broth, tomatoes and potatoes. The recipe is easy — there are only about three or four steps — and you can make it in around 20 or 25 minutes.

“After you saute the onions and garlic and cook the beef, you can add the ingredients in any way you want,” he said. “That’s what’s so easy about it. You just throw them all in together.”

That’s about as good as it gets for Jim Thompson, a longtime stay-at-home dad who has never worn an apron. He can’t claim the concoction is completely original, but I gave him a pat on the back for it anyway.

He doesn’t remember exactly how it came to be. He was looking online at some soup recipes and found one that reminded him of another. He tinkered with both and created a recipe he truly enjoys making.

“It tastes really good,” he said. “It’s just a really hearty taste.”

The soup must have sparked some culinary inspiration inside him because he’s probably cooked it more in the past few months than he’s cooked for the family in the past three years.

Take that as a “thank you” and not a roast, Pops.

One of the best things about the soup is its flexibility. The ingredients aren’t set in stone.

Try adding some hot sauce or chili powder to give it some kick. The spice takes it from being a warm and cozy soup to something you’d expect in Texas or south of the border. Throwing in extra salt and pepper doesn’t hurt either.

My mom, also a fan of the soup, likes to garnish it with shredded cheddar cheese. Dad recommended serving it with garlic bread, crescent rolls, salad or a grilled cheese sandwich.

“Whatever you serve with soup, you can serve with this,” he said.

I like to add a few handfuls of Goldfish crackers. There’s something about the crunch and taste of the cheddar crackers that blends well with the chunky soup and beef stock. It tastes as good as saltines in clam chowder.

I don’t have vegetables very often, so I love being able to eat them this way. The green beans, tomatoes and corn are my favorites of the bunch.

The soup also has a pleasant aroma. I know he’s cooked it as soon as I walk in the door.

Another positive is that it saves well. My dad usually cooks a lot of it — enough to feed at least a family of 10 — for leftovers.

“You can snack on this for the week,” he said.

Evan Thompson: @ethompson@heraldnet.com; 360-544-2999; @evanthompson_1.

Quick and hearty soup

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic

1 pound lean ground meat

2 16-ounce cans diced tomatoes

1 12-ounce bag mixed vegetables

14 ounces green beans

8 ounces tomato sauce

32 ounces beef stock

10-12 baby potatoes, cubed

2 teaspoons Italian herbs seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

4 bay leaves (remove before consumption)

Saute onions and garlic with olive oil until translucent.

Cook ground beef until brown.

Combine onions, garlic, ground beef, tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, potatoes, mixed vegetables and green beans in a soup pot. Once it reaches boiling temperature, turn it down to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are soft, or about 15 minutes.

Makes 8-10 servings.