Old-Fashioned Hamburger and Vegetable Stew

1. Heat a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook ground beef until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring, until onion is soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Pour in beef stock and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil and add carrots.

3. Tie parsley, rosemary, thyme, and sage together into a bundle with cooking twine and add to the pot. Add bay leaf and season soup with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes.

4. Increase heat to medium and add potatoes, green beans, corn, and drained tomatoes. Return soup to a boil, partially with a lid so steam can still escape, and simmer until potatoes are fork-tender, about 25 minutes. Remove herb bundle and bay leaf and discard. Adjust salt and pepper, if needed.

Cook's Note:

To create a stew-like gravy, dissolve 2 tablespoons cornstarch in 1/4 cup water to make a slurry. Sitr until there are no lumps. Add to the bubbling soup, stirring rapidly, until the liquid is slightly thickened.