Does anyone remember camping out with the Girl Scouts 50 years ago and making Girl Scout Soup over the campfire? It was so good and I have tried to remember how to make it, but I haven't got it correct yet. It had ground beef, vegetable Campbell soup and onions. I can't remember any other ingredients. Maybe a newer Girl Scout or leader can help me out?
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Straight from pages 367-368 of my 1977 edition of the Brownie and Junior Girl Scouts Handbook,
World's to Explore is the following recipe:
One-pot meals easy to make and clean up after.
Here is a favorite Girl Scout one-pot meal.
Look for others in cook-books:
Girl Scout Stew
2 - pounds hamburger
1 - onion, peeled and cut in small squares
1 - Tablespoon fat
2 - 10 3/4 ounce cans condensed vegetable soup
salt and pepper to taste
Add salt and pepper to hamburger, and separate hamburger into little pieces, or make little balls of it.
Put fat in bottom of kettle. Fry hamburger and onion until the onion is light brown and hamburger is well browned all over. Pour off excess fat.
Add vegetable soup and enough water to prevent sticking.
Cover and cook slowly until meat is cooked through. Serve hot.
Did it taste good? The next time you cook out, try another meal in a pot.
I hope this is what you were looking for. Enjoy any and all of the recipes you try!
Trisch in Troy, IL
Hi my mom was a girlscout for around eighty years she died as a girlscout we called it chipawa stew and I remember stewed tomatoes and sliced black olives in my moms corn or what was in season or just mixed veggies out of a can.
That's the one I remember. We always made it when we winter camped. It tasted wonderful after being out in the cold for most of the day.
That is exactly what we made when our troop went camping only sometimes we would put potatoes in it. I'm 69 years old now and I still make it if I'm too lazy to cook. My husband and kids liked it.
I am looking for a recipe of flying sausages, I think it was sausage links wrapped in crescent rolls with mustard and pickle relish baked
Im 63 now and I still remember this was the first meal I ever cooked for my family..I was ao happy it came out good..Later in my 20s I made it for adult.friends using tofu instead of beef..It was so good to usenthat childhood memory again. Im about to go do it again.I googled it to make sure I remembered it right..At this time I will use plant based beyond meat.
My college roommate told me they made something called Girl Scout Soup that sounds more like the Boy Scout version.
Each girl was to bring a can of any soup that was not cream or cheese based, they would mix them all together. She said it was always good. I've always wanted to try it.
My Mom was a girl Scouts Leader, she called it, Hobo Stew, ground beef with Campbell's alphabet soup, Canned White Potatoes cut in quarters or in to eights and add onion diced. I Have not made this in a long time.
My Jr. Girl Scout Handbook from 1963 says: 2 lbs hamburger; 1 onion; 2-10 oz cans concentrated vegetable soup;salt & pepper. S&P meat. Fry it w onion. Drain. Add soup & enough water to keep from sticking. Cover & cook slowly til meat is thoroughly cooked. Serve hot. Serves 8.
Brown 1 lb. ground beef, drain, add 3 cans old-fashioned vegetable soup, 3 cans bean and bacon soup, add water per soup directions, 1 chopped onion (brown with beef), 1 cup maple syrup. Bring to a boil, then simmer for a while. Enjoy!
This was how my wife and daughters used to make it when they were girl scouts!
Yes...I make it all the time. 2 lbs. ground beef and onion browned and drained. 4 cans of ABC Campbells Vegetable soup....1/2 to 1 can of water....I make mine thicker like stew...Simmer until all is hot and bubbly.
This what I remember My Mom making called Girl Scout Hobo Stew Serves/Makes:10
Ingredients
3 lbs (1.4 kg). ground beef
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 tbsp (15 ml) fat
3 (10 oz (280 grm).) cans concentrated vegetable soup
salt
pepper
Preparation
Make little balls of ground beef, adding seasoning.
We called this dish Hunter's Stew, like maybe the hunters didn't bag their deer or duck or whatever. Similar to skunked fishermen making fish sticks for supper. Ours had hamburger, diced onion, celery, vegetable soup, rice salt & pepper, and water. We used the empty soup cans to measure the rice and water. The trick was frequent stirring to keep the bottom from burning. I still make this, although I do the rice separately and pour the stew over it. Delicious, low cost meal.
I remember the girls all bringing a can of vegetables. It didn't matter what kind. I don't know what was used for the stock or base. There was more that just my troop, seems like 75 to 100 range. Good times.
I still remember the songs that we sang. One song in particular was "The other day, I met a bear out in the woods". It has been passed down for generations and the little ones all sing it at family gatherings now.
My mom used to make it by browning ground beef and adding vegetable alphabet beef soup to it.
My mom was a girl scout leader and we also had 5 girls at home so we made this a lot. Its my go to comfort meal! I use a cast iron skillet, cook 1 lb of chop meat with chopped onion, drain the fat and add 2cans of Campbells vegetarian vegetable soup. Sooo easy!!
Ages ago when we made it on campouts we started with the core - hamburger, onions & vegetable soup, then each girl added a can of their favorite vegetables (tomatoes, carrots, green beans, peas and/or whatever). I still make it from time to time with MY favorite vegetables!
These recipes are what I remembered. It just didn't taste quite the same - Ground Beef, Canned Veg. Soup, and Onions. I guess it's more the memories and you have to be in a great woodsey camp with a campfire and a bunch of friends to make it taste the same. Thanks to all who took the time to answer!
Sandy
The problem being Campbells doesn't make the same soup any more...the stuff with beef stock doesn't taste the same...
You need two cans of Tall Boy Vegetable soup for the correct taste. None other will make it taste right.
My mom makes this. Its ground beef, onions, Campbells abc vegetable soup and she adds a little katchup and a couple table spoons of jalapeño juice and its is sooo good!
I thought it was Campbell's vegetarian vegetable soup.
The recipe I use uses Campbell's vegetarian vegetable soup. It has the alphabet letters and a tomato base. I also use Minute Rice in it.
As I recall thinly
sliced cabbage was added at the end
My mom always used Campbell's vegetarian vegetable soup. I found recently when I used a generic brand and one time when I used a different Campbell's beef soup it didn't taste the same. I have the fixings in the pantry right now
Some where I have lots of Girl Scout one pot meal recipes. Most start with ground beef and onions.
It always tasted better cooked over the campfire!
My favorite: add tomato sauce and corn, let simmer than throw in chunked up cheese and let it melt.
I found this one online. Does it sound like it?
GIRL SCOUT STEW
2 lbs. ground beef
2 cans Mexican tomatoes
1 onion
1 can mixed vegetables
1 can tomato soup
Brown beef and drain. Add onion and cook on low 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and mixed vegetables. Simmer on low about 40 minutes. Add tomato soup and simmer 5 minutes.
Thanks, Kayrayriggs, it was just basic soup, onions, S&P and ground beef. This sounds good though.
Hobo Stew
1 hamburger patty (the real thing, not the already formed ones, they are too skinny and will cook too fast)
Salt and pepper beef
Add chopped carrots, celery, thinly sliced potatoes and onions (or whatever combo)
Add straight from can spoonfuls of Cream of Mushroom soup, wrap tight in foil (should use either extra strength or two layers of foil), place on top of coals or over a grate, it's done when the beef is done, place on plate and eat right out of foil.
THAT is Heaven in a foil pouch!
Hehehehhh... you Girl Scouts were much more cultured than my Boy Scout troop was. When we went camping the Scoutmaster suggested we each bring a can of something. I remember one "stew" with salmon, tuna, Vienna sausage, green beans, English peas, pork & beans, and two eggs. There was some other stuff too but that's what I remember. (And I don't recall how the eggs survived the hike.)
One suggestion for any soups or stews: except for the tomatoes try not to use any canned vegatables. We didn't have such a luxury when camping in those days, but if possible use only fresh or frozen veggies.
Another suggestion: try to organize a camping party among your lady-friends, pick out a suitable campsite, and do it all again. And have fun!
Forgive me for asking this, but I couldn't help myself with Halloween coming up. Did the soup contain real girl scouts? I apologize again. I simply remembered an episode of the Adams Family where firl scouts were selling cookies and the Adams' little girl asked them if they were made with real girl scouts.
Dear Trisch,
I do believe you hit it! Very simple and very good. We always had a buttered piece of bread with it.
Thanks again and thanks to all who answered.
Nolasandy
I was telling my husband last night about Girl Scout Stew. I googled and found it. Thanks. Does anyone remember the term used when we graduated from Brownies to Girl Scouts? I think it was something like the Flying Up Ceremony. I am laughing as I remember reciting something into a mirror surrounded by fake trees, assuming it must have resembled a lake in the woods.
Twist me & turn me & show me the elf...
I looked in the water & saw (myself{ new Brownie response})
It is the only one I remember!
I think it was called "bridging"
I too have been searching for that recipe. I recall many different cans of various thing that went in all at once. It had an unusual tomato base from all the different cans. All the recipes I've seen only have ground beef and vegetable soup but it had much more than that, I'm sure of it. I think the real recipe is top secret or something so its hopeless.
Good luck from Vikki in Indianapolis,IN
Girl scout stew
1lb hamburger /onion
1can vegetable soup
1can corn
1 can peas
1 can chili beans
1 small can tomato sauce
Fry hamburger with onions put the rest of the ingredients in a Dutch oven then add browned hamburger heat thru enjoy
I, too, remember our Hobo Stew as a young girl! I remember we put in hamburger meat, canned tomatoes, onions, rice, elbow macaroni and water, salt and pepper into an empty Coffee Can and cooked it! Don't remember if there was anything else in it or not...but remember loving it!
We called it campfire stew, and yes it was really good. I think your recipe is missing a can of Campbell's Tomato soup.
Glad to see i am not the only one that looked this up. Boy i miss the good old days.
I've been searching for the same recipe, the girl scouts must have changed it every year because I remember it being called hobo stew, and we cooked it in a Dutch oven. The ground beef, onions, vegetable soup or minestrone AND a can of Campbell's chicken gumbo and Elbow macaroni. Ours didn't have rice or any tomato soup although the base of the stew may have seemed a little tomato-y.
I have been wanting to make this for awhile but couldn't remember the other can..which must be the vegetable soup, I just kept thinking it had chicken in the name like the chicken gumbo. Thanks everyone...I'm glad I'm not the only one looking!
1lb ground beef, chopped onion, 2 cans vegetable soup, 1 can tomato soup.
One lb. ground beef. Cook with chopped onion. When browned add two cans Vegetarian Vegetable soup...that is the key! No water. Simmer! Add salt as needed.
That's all!
We made this stew over Maxwell House charcoal burners. Can cut w/top off and side vents. We used our mess kits to cook the ground beef with the can of Campbells Vegetable soup. It was one of the few times we actually used our mess kits. It was part of a badge we were earning. It tasted SO GOOD.
That's exactly what our troop did too for a badge...our own little stove. And the soup...think our leader called it American Chop Suey.
I've been looking for tha recipe too. We called it American chop suey. Ground beef, onions, Campbell's Vegetarian veggie soup.I remember noodles of some kind...I know we made it at Grenolds Park in North Miami, FLORIDA on a camping day trip.
I got this from cooks.com:
GIRL SCOUT SOUP
2 cans spaghetti and meat balls
1 can kidney beans
1 can peas and carrots
Onion
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. butter
In saucepan, cook onion with chili powder in butter until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook over low heat 5 minutes to blend flavors. Stir now and then. Makes 4 large servings. To make recipe stretch further, brown some hamburger and add to soup.
the one
I remember was just undiluted Campbells Vegetarian Vegetable Soup-we heated it and poured it over saltine crackers. that was it-and it wasn't bad!
So I remember campbells Vegetarian vegetable soup and tomato soup with ground beef. I add some orzo, some extra veggies...My foodie husband liked it a lot! (Doesnt taste the same without the campfire!!)
In the version I remember, tomato soup was also added along with the alphabet vegetable soup and ground beef. It was great!
I had a troop of 12 we were having a parent girl camp out. Each girl was to bring a can of veggies i supplied the meat tomatoe soup and extras. Each girl was able to add there contribution to help in prep. Then served to there parents. Great fun.
I remember making it with ground beef, condensed campbells alphabet soup, and condensed campbells tomato soup. Then add additional canned vegetables if you want.
Thanks - so many memories.
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