Ramen Pepper Steak Soup!

There is not a lot I like about the weather turning cooler, because as some of you know I am a lover of Spring and Summer and wish we had that weather year round.  However, I do like some of the foods we tend to cook more when the weather cools and soup is one of those foods.  

We love soup in our family and tend to make some type of soup at least once a week, sometimes more.  We have our old favorites, but I like to experiment and try some new things also.   I came up with this "Ramen Pepper Steak Soup", because I had two of those huge boxes of Ramen noodles in both chicken and beef flavors and was trying to think of ways to use them.

Here is what you will need for this:

3 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. butter 

1  1/2 to 2 pounds top round or sirloin steak

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

1 Tbs. minced garlic

1 medium size sweet onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper diced

3 stalks celery, sliced thin

2 cups white mushrooms, sliced (optional)

2 (10.5 oz.) cans beef consommé or beef broth

2 pkgs. beef flavored Ramen Noodles

6 cups water

1/2 tsp. ginger

2 Tbs. Teriyaki sauce

pinch of red pepper (optional)

1 (8 oz.) can of sliced water chestnuts (optional)

Place the olive oil and butter in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium high heat.  Slice the steak in thin strips as you would for Pepper Steak or Stroganoff.   Place in the hot oil.  Sprinkle the steak with the pepper and seasoned salt.   Saute until it is just starting to brown. 

Add the garlic, onion, green and red pepper, celery and mushrooms, if you are using them.   The mushrooms are really good in this, but I know a lot of people do not care for them, so omit them if that is the case and it's still really good.   Saute the vegetables and meat just until the vegetables are starting to soften some.  Don't overcook, because this will simmer more. 

 Add the two cans of consommé or beef broth and the seasoning packets from the Ramen noodles plus two cups of the water.   Turn heat to low and simmer for 1 hour covered.  Stir occasionally.

After it simmers for an hour and the meat is tender add the rest of the water, 4 cups, the Ramen noodles, the ginger, Teriyaki sauce and a pinch of red pepper, if you like a little touch of heat.  Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and just cook until the noodles are done, about 5-6 minutes. 

This is really good served with egg rolls or spring rolls!