Quick Beef and Vegetable Soup

Is it too late for soup? Maybe. But this would work well on a coldish spring day, as well as a really cold day in the winter. I love it because I usually have all of the ingredients on hand, and because it reminds of my grandmother's beef, vegetable, and barley soup I ate frequently as a child and teenager.

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Quick Beef and Vegetable Soup

Source: Cook's Country

1 lb 90% lean ground beef (I have used 80% lean and it is greasier, but not inedible)
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teas dried oregano
salt and pepper
4 c beef broth (or chicken broth, if you don't have any beef)
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
8 oz Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (red potatoes would also work)
6 oz green beans, trimmed and cut on bias into 1-inch lengths
2 T chopped fresh parsley, optional

In a Dutch oven, cook beef, onion, carrots, oregano, 1 teas salt, and 1/2 teas pepper over medium-high heat. Use a spoon or spatula to break up the beef until no longer pink. Add broth, tomatoes and their juice, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover the pot and simmer until potatoes are almost tender, 10-12 minutes.

Add green beans and cook, uncovered, until vegetables are tender and soup has thickened slightly, 12-14 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, sprinkled with parsley.