Lazy Day Beef & Vegetable Soup

I made very few changes to this recipe (that I've had forever *cough*). The most drastic thing that I did was use less beef (original recipe called for 2-1/2 lbs, I used just over 1 lb) to make it a little more economical. You can use any variety of diced tomatoes - plain, with garlic & onions, italian seasoning, etc. - for a little added oomph. I used a tri-colored pasta, but you can use any small shaped (ditalini, small shell, small penne) pasta. The tri-colored pasta is a little too big, but still yummy. I forgot to buy a bag of mixed frozen veg's, so I faked it for this post with a little bit each of a bag of corn, carrots and green beans. Next time I make this I'm going to add 1-2 tbsp tapioca because the broth was really thin.

1 lb. stew beef
29 oz can beef broth
15 oz can garbanzo beans (a.k.a. chickpeas), drained
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1 tsp salt (if needed) - I didn't use
1 tsp dried italian seasoning, crushed
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup uncooked pasta

Combine beef, broth, beans, tomatoes, water and seasonings in crockpot; mix well. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 8 hours. No stirring necessary during cooking.

Stir in vegetables and pasta, continue cooking covered for 1 hour, or until beef and pasta are tender.

Stir well before serving.