USA · Soups
Beef and Vegetable Soup
Cheap, tough beef cuts braised low and slow in broth with root vegetables until the meat is tender enough to break with a spoon.
Ingredients
- beef chuck, shin, or short ribs, cut into 3 cm chunks800 g
- vegetable oil3 tbsp
- large onion1
- carrots, cut into 2 cm rounds3
- celery stalks3
- garlic cloves4
- tomato paste2 tbsp
- red wine or extra beef broth150 ml
- beef broth, low-sodium1.5 l
- canned crushed tomatoes400 g
- Worcestershire sauce1 tbsp
- bay leaves2
- dried thyme1 tsp
- potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes500 g
- green beans or frozen peas, added last150 g
- salt1 tsp
- black pepper0.5 tsp
- fresh parsley3 tbsp
Method
- 1Pat the beef dry with paper towels — moisture prevents browning. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- 2Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large heavy pot over high heat until just smoking. Brown the beef in batches, one layer at a time, without touching for 2–3 minutes per side. Don't crowd the pot — crowding steams instead of sears and produces gray, flavourless meat. Remove each batch to a plate.
- 3Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining oil, then onion, carrot, and celery. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften. Add garlic and tomato paste. Cook 2 minutes, stirring, until the paste darkens slightly.
- 4Pour in the wine. Scrape the bottom of the pot thoroughly — all the browned bits are flavor. Let the wine bubble for 1 minute.
- 5Add the broth, crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire, bay leaves, and thyme. Return the browned beef and any juices that collected on the plate. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a very gentle simmer — barely a bubble.
- 6Cover and cook for 1 hour 15 minutes. The beef should be tender but not yet falling apart.
- 7Add the potato cubes. Cook uncovered for another 25–30 minutes until the potatoes are soft and the broth has thickened slightly. Add green beans or peas in the last 10 minutes.
- 8Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Ladle into deep bowls and finish with fresh parsley.