Extra veggies: while my grandmother didn’t necessarily add these additional vegetables, I often like to throw in some zucchini, frozen corn kernels, and/or sliced fresh mushrooms (all shown here). Frozen peas are also easy to toss in at the end. She often included chopped cabbage, too.

Noodles or Pasta: in lieu of the potatoes, add a few cups of cooked macaroni, egg noodles, rotini or other pasta of choice.

Rice or barley: both of these short grains make a nice addition to the soup as well! Stir in a few cups of cooked rice or barley at the end of the cooking time.

Add more of your favorite seasoning, such as turmeric, paprika, chili powder, or even a dash of curry powder. A dash of [fish-free] Worcestershire sauce also pairs nicely with the beef.

Fresh herbs! A bit of parsley is the perfect way to brighten up the soup at the very end. My memory of my grandmother’s food is that it was always garnished with fresh parsley! Feel free to use chives, rosemary, or other fresh herbs of choice.

Cut the carrots into a fine dice so that they’re soft by the time the potatoes are done. You don’t want hard, crunchy carrots in your soup, but you also don’t want to have to overcook the potatoes in order to give the carrots time to finish.

Simmer the soup just long enough for the potatoes to become tender. This typically takes about 15 to 20 minutes. If you simmer too long, they can become mushy.

Adjust the heat by using more or less red pepper flakes.

Depending on the broth that you use, you might need more (or less) salt and pepper. Just taste and season until it’s exactly how you like it!