Yes you can! Because it is real meat, and due to the complicated nature of the freeze-drying process, freeze-dried meats are not cheap! If you are needing to stay on a budget for these, you can substitute a vegetarian meat substitute known as TVP, or "textured vegetable protein". It is soy-based, and made to have a similar taste and texture to the "real" stuff. For this recipe, if you decide to use TVP, I recommend using Taco Flavored TVP for best flavor. If you are needing to keep costs down and want to avoid using TVP, another option is to make this soup recipe as written but leave out the freeze-dried meat altogether. Then, you can add fresh cooked ground beef or canned meat when you go to make the soup.