Misako’s Christmas Soup

A red, chunky in a Japanese bowl sitting on a green placemat on top of a wooden table. There is a mountain plums cup in the background

Every year around Christmas, my mother in law makes this amazing meaty and sweet tomato soup loaded with veggies. The festive colors and great taste make it a holiday favorite at our home – and after you try it, maybe at your home as well!

Beef Soup

If you like tomato soup, then you have to give this recipe a try! With 140 calories, 7 1/2 grams of protein, and 2 1/2 grams of fiber in each bowl of this soup, it’s both filling and very nutritious.

This hearty and delicious tomato based soup has been passed on over the years in our family. Misako, my wife’s mother, taught me the recipe 20 years ago, and now I make it every year around the holidays. The red tomatoes and green pepper give it a beautiful color, and the ketchup adds in some tartness and sweetness. Canned corned beef breaks apart in the soup and infuses the soup with a hearty and delicious flavor.

Like many mountainplums recipes, this one is easy to make and once you try it you may want to make it over and over.

Misako’s Christmas Soup

This tomato based meat and vegetable soup looks and tastes amazing. This tasty soup is loaded with vegetables and very healthy. I recommend you take the skin off the tomatoes, although a large can of whole, peeled tomatoes will work in a pinch. Use a single green bell pepper in place of the two small green peppers if desired.

PREP	COOKING	YIELD
15 minutes	1 hour	8 bowls

PREP	15 minutes
COOKING	1 hour
YIELD	8 bowls

Ingredients:

1 TBSP Cooking Oil
2 Cups chicken consommé (400ml)
1/2 cup tomato based vegetable juice (50ml)
1/2 cup tomato ketchup (50ml)
4 tomatoes
1 large potato
2 small green bell peppers
1/2 onion
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
6 fresh basil leaves
1/3 lb canned corned beef (160g)

Instructions:

To peel the tomatoes, first remove the stems. Turn upside down and cut crosses on the bottom. Put the tomatoes in boiling water for 3 minutes. The skin will start to lift off in the water. Drain the tomatoes and peel by hand under cold water. Quarter and set aside.

Peel and dice the onion into 1/2 inch (1 cm) pieces.
Cut the stems off the green peppers and remove the seeds and dice into 1/2 inch (1 cm) pieces.
Dice the celery into into 1/2 inch (1 cm) pieces.
Peel the carrots. Chop into 3/4 inch (2cm) squares.
Peel the potatoes. Chop into 3/4 inch (2cm) squares.
Heat the oil over medium high heat in a soup pot. Sauté onion, celery, basil and green pepper for three minutes.

Add in the carrots and continue to sauté for an additional three minutes.
Add in consommé, vegetable juice and potatoes. Bring to a boil and then turn down to medium maintaining a light boil for 5 minutes.
Stir in the ketchup, corned beef and tomato. Bring back to a boil. Cook for three more minutes on medium.

Turn down to simmer and cover. Simmer for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Remove from heat and serve.

Notes:

Refrigerate leftovers. This soup tastes great reheated.

Jay H

Jay is a Project Manager for a U.S. Company that does business globally. He has worked and lived in many places and has spent time learning how to cook dishes from around the world. Currently based in Japan, he created the Mountain Plums website during the Covid pandemic as a way to express himself though cooking while staying active.

More Recipes by

Jay H

Jay is a Project Manager for a U.S. Company that does business globally. He has worked and lived in many places and has spent time learning how to cook dishes from around the world. Currently based in Japan, he created the Mountain Plums website during the Covid pandemic as a way to express himself though cooking while staying active.