Potato Peel Hamburger Soup

Recipe by Kay Carroll

Serves 6

6 medium to large potatoes
1 large onion, sliced
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup chopped celery
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. ground meat (your choice: beef, bison, chicken, turkey)
3 cups chopped or crushed cooked tomatoes 
Peppercorns
Salt
Vegetable or beef broth/bouillon (optional)

1. Wash potatoes and remove/cut out any bad spots. Then peel the potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes. Reserve the peels.
2. In a large soup pot, cook the potato cubes in 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, or until potatoes are soft but still firm. Once cooked, drain and save liquid for soup. Let potato cubes cool.
3. Cut the potato peels into small pieces. 
4. To the reserved potato liquid add enough water to equal 8 cups of liquid. Add the chopped potato peels, onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Add peppercorns and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook at a simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes.
5. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil then sauté the ground meat until just cooked. Set aside.
6. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the reserved cubed potatoes, ground meat and tomatoes. Stir and cook until heated through, 5 – 10 minutes. 
7. Taste the soup and decide if you want to add broth or bouillon for flavor.
8. Serve with croutons or bread to dip.