Soups are great in general because they can be a really interesting mix of ingredients. Whether you like one of them or hate it really bad, it doesn’t get that noticed when the soup is involved. The reason being is that soup is a little bit of everything, so the prominent ingredients can’t be that noticeable. Or the ones you particularly don’t like. Since we are trying to make a soup that is the most neutral, so to say, to the majority of the readers, we will just stick to the most basic ingredients that you may add or remove depending on your preference.
Soup logistics
The traditional vegetable soup is made with chicken, and usually prepared after a broth is made. There is absolutely no reason not to make it that way, but the recipe we will show you includes cooking the vegetables from the get go. So you don’t have to boil chicken for too long. Trick here is to either sear the meat. Or add it raw. Whichever way you prefer.
Seared meat has a tasteful feel to it, since it is not the most usual procedure for a soup. Meat that will go in our soup is beef, and the best parts are chuck roast, chuck shoulder, or top chuck. These parts are really tender, and will feel like soup itself once everything is done and ready to eat.
Extra steps
Sear the meat in a hot pan, one that is either from stainless steel or cast iron. Don’t add the meat yet, that is just for informational purposes. Add a teaspoon of vegetable oil, and when it starts to smoke, you are ready to add the meat. Meat should be cut into small pieces, in order for each of them to sear properly and from both sides. Resist the urge to move the meat around. It needs a few minutes to sear perfectly on its own. Move a pan when 2- 3 min have passed, and if the meat moves on its own, it is ready to be turned around.
The preparation
You can make beef stock if you have the time. It is similar to the chicken broth, but you don’t add that much meat as you do in broth. Bones are roasted first, and the taste is much different from broth, all due to the lack of seasoning. Stock is cooked 6- 8 hours, while broth takes about 3- 4. This is just a quick guide, if you decide to add the beef stock to your soup. It is purely optional, though.
What you need for this deliciousness is:
- 2 carrots
- 2 sticks of celery
- 2 onions
- 3 potatoes
- 1 tbsp of tomato sauce (not ketchup)
- Beef of your choice
If you choose to do so, sear the meat. Add vegetable oil, salt and pepper to it. A pinch should do the trick. Cook until it gets that recognizable smell, and remove after that. Put other ingredients in the same pan for the flavors to soak up the flavors.
Cut the carrots. Slice the celery, and cut the onions. Peel the potatoes and quarter them. In the midst of you doing all these, put over a liter of water to boil. When the water boils, add the ingredients to a pan and put the boiling water over them. This is the part where you can put the broth in, if you choose to do so instead of water. Add the tomato sauce, and the beef. Seasonings that have not been mentioned, but you can add them are basil, thyme and pepper. This is the part of the meal where you can add them.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer for 30 min. After that, add the potatoes. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes, while stirring it occasionally (once or twice). Take out the beef or vegetables out with a spoon. If they are tender, you don’t have to cook anymore.
You can add corn or peas in this part, if you want. Serve with bread.
Soup Nutrition Facts
