Elaines Homemade Beef And Vegetable Soup
From chefelaine 17 years agoIngredients
- 1 lb lean stewing beef, cut into bite-sized pieces shopping list
- 4 beef shank bones, marrow in shopping list
- about 2 quarts cold water shopping list
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract shopping list
- 1 tsp salt shopping list
- 1/2 tsp pepper shopping list
- 1 tsp dried basil shopping list
- 1 tsp italian seasoning shopping list
- 3 medium sized potatoes, washed and unpeeled, cut into bite-sized pieces shopping list
- 1 can (28 oz size) tomatoes shopping list
- (if additional tomato richness is desired, add 1/2 small can unsalted tomato paste) shopping list
- 1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped shopping list
- 1 1/2 cups celery, chopped shopping list
- 1 cup corn niblets shopping list
- 1 large onion, diced shopping list
- 1 cup peas shopping list
- ======================= shopping list
- For the mirepoix: shopping list
- finely dice one large onion shopping list
- add 1/2 (roughly) the amount of finely diced carrots shopping list
- add 1/2 (roughly the amount of celery shopping list
How to make it
- Place the beef shanks into the cold water
- slowly bring to the boil
- add the vanilla (the vanilla dramatically heightens the flavor of the beef)
- skim off any 'scum' that rises from the bones
- In another saucepan, brown the beef, and when browned, add to the soup pot, drippings and all.
- In the meantime, in a a separate saucepan, caramelize the onion, and add a mirepoix of one part finely chopped onion, 1/2 part carrots, and 1/2 part celery in a little canola oil
- Cook until tender
- Usually, mirepoix is not served, but in this soup, the mirepoix is added to the soup, adding terrific flavor, texture, and making the soup more economical in these dollar-stretching times!
- While cooking the mirepoix, make vegetable stock from clean leftover pieces of veggies you have cut. It should be in a water bath of about 2 cups.
- When the veggie stock is cooked, and the veggies tender, strain the liquid through a colander, and discard the veggies used in the stock.
- Add the veggie stock to the soup pot.
- Add the mirepoix to the soup pot, and add the additional vegetables as indicated... more carrots, celery, onion, corn, potatoes, tomatoes, peas...
- Allow to simmer for at least two hours, stirring periodically.
- Taste, and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if desired.
- This recipe makes a very HEARTY soup, and is a meal in itself.
- Served with garlic toast, your family will be asking you to make this more often!
shanks and veg
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stewing beef
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mirepoix
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making veg broth
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tomatoes added
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The Rating
Reviewed by 45 people-
Vanilla? Wow, who would have thought, Elaine? This soup sounds like a nice addition to my winter meals file! We are big soup fans. ^5
linspj
in New Hartford loved it
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interesting fact about the vanilla... thank you for sharing...^5
peetabear
in mid-hudson valley loved it
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I love that you put all the flavorful things right in the soup. No waste and it will only taste better. I would also add any worthy vegetables that are aging in my fridge.
lasaf
in St. Paul loved it
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