Favorite Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe

In article <[email hidden]>,

cybercat said:

I've never made this. I will braise the beef and cut into bite-sized pieces.

I want a base that is beef broth with a bit of tomato.

(I know, it's hardly soup weather, but we eat it year round, and I want it
perfected by the fall ...)

Thanks.

My preference is to use my pressure cooker to cook shank cuts (round
bone) until tender -- along with a bay leaf and some celery and onion.
I'm not too proud to add some beef base (Penzeys is good) to it to give
me more volume. I remove the meat, strain and discard the vegetables
then chill the broth and defat for use as soup base whenever I want
vegetable soup. At that point, I add the vegetables of my choice:
celery, carrots, peas, a bit of diced (canned) tomato, maybe barley
that's been pre-cooked, some parsley.

It's always soup weather. :-)
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com - story and
pics of Ronald McDonald House dinner posted 6-24-2007

"cybercat" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I've never made this. I will braise the beef and cut into bite-sized
pieces.

I want a base that is beef broth with a bit of tomato.

This is a nice soup and smells great while it is cooking. I use beef
base rather than boullion.

Beef barley soup from Betty Crocker

(I've never added the MSG, and I use larger amounts of
the seasonings. nancy)

1 pound boneless chuck, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup water
2 teaspoons instant beef bouillon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon each dried marjoram & thyme
1/4 teaspoon MSG
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
4 cups water
3 medium carrots, sliced
1 large stalk celery, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (16 oz) whole tomatoes with liquid
1/2 cup uncooked barley

Cook and stir beef in oil in 4 quart Dutch oven over medium
heat until brown. Stir in 1 cup water, the bouillon through
the bay leaf. Cover and simmer until beef is tender,
1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Stir in 4 cups water and remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling,
reduce heat. Cover and simmer until carrots are tender, about
35 minutes.

"cybercat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've never made this. I will braise the beef and cut into bite-sized
pieces.

I want a base that is beef broth with a bit of tomato.

(I know, it's hardly soup weather, but we eat it year round, and I want it
perfected by the fall ...)

Thanks.

I don't really have a recipe. I just add whatever sounds good at the time
or whatever I have in the house. I start with a jar of tomato/veg juice.
Sort of like V-8 but organic. If I don't have that, I'll sub in either some
tomato juice or tomato sauce thinned down with water. I'll usually add some
beef broth to that.

My usually vegetables are potatoes, carrots, celery, green beans, corn and
peas. I'll add some chopped tomato if I have any tomatoes around. I love
barley, but daughter can't have gluten so I don't add it any more. Might
add some rice or cooked gluten free noodles. Season with parsley, Italian
seasoning, black pepper and salt to taste.

"Melba's Jammin'" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

cybercat said:

I've never made this. I will braise the beef and cut into bite-sized
pieces.

I want a base that is beef broth with a bit of tomato.

(I know, it's hardly soup weather, but we eat it year round, and I want
it
perfected by the fall ...)

Thanks.

My preference is to use my pressure cooker to cook shank cuts (round
bone) until tender -- along with a bay leaf and some celery and onion.
I'm not too proud to add some beef base (Penzeys is good) to it to give
me more volume. I remove the meat, strain and discard the vegetables
then chill the broth and defat for use as soup base whenever I want
vegetable soup. At that point, I add the vegetables of my choice:
celery, carrots, peas, a bit of diced (canned) tomato, maybe barley
that's been pre-cooked, some parsley.

It's always soup weather. :-)
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com - story and
pics of Ronald McDonald House dinner posted 6-24-2007

I use Barb's method, only no peas, tomato sometimes barley, sometimes potato
and then green beans and cabbage. It's all good. I think the important
part is to get the beef tender and tasty. From there on it's up to your
tastes.
Janet

"Janet B." <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"Melba's Jammin'" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

cybercat said:

I've never made this. I will braise the beef and cut into bite-sized
pieces.

I want a base that is beef broth with a bit of tomato.

(I know, it's hardly soup weather, but we eat it year round, and I
want it
perfected by the fall ...)

Thanks.

My preference is to use my pressure cooker to cook shank cuts (round
bone) until tender -- along with a bay leaf and some celery and
onion. I'm not too proud to add some beef base (Penzeys is good) to
it to give me more volume. I remove the meat, strain and discard
the vegetables then chill the broth and defat for use as soup base
whenever I want vegetable soup. At that point, I add the vegetables
of my choice: celery, carrots, peas, a bit of diced (canned) tomato,
maybe barley that's been pre-cooked, some parsley.

It's always soup weather. :-)
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com - story and
pics of Ronald McDonald House dinner posted 6-24-2007

I use Barb's method, only no peas, tomato sometimes barley, sometimes
potato and then green beans and cabbage. It's all good. I think the
important part is to get the beef tender and tasty. From there on
it's up to your tastes.
Janet

I use beef knuckle bones...first I roast them to get a darker stock. Then
(to water to cover) I add a large carrot (broken in half), large onion
(skin and all) cut in half, some celery ribs, 10 or so peppercorns, a
clove or 3 of garlic and a bay leaf or 3. This I simmer a while, till
it's a rich stock. I do this in a pasta pot the kind with a insert (full
of holes) so the larger crud is easier to remove. I chuck out the spend
veggies and bones. I refrigerate this so skiming the fat is easier

After I make the stock I add browned chuck cubes, cooked Pot barley,
tomato paste and diced tomatoes, a little salt and fresh veggies like
chopped onion, chopped celery heart with the leaves, diced carrot,
chopped red or green bell pepper and anything else that I need to clean
outa the fridge vegetable wise, plus sliced mushrooms some maggi sauce or
worechester sauce. First I simmer to soften up the chuck a while, then
add veggies later so they don't get too soft and then the pre cooked
barley. Sometimes I also add a cup or so of a nice red wine to make the
broth richer in taste. Diced Potatoes also work but I rarely eat them
(low carb diet) these days. So does corn nibblets, and spinach leaves.

The trick is when to add the veggies...add the stuff that cooks up faster
nearer the end.

--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

It'll be a sunny day in August, when the Moon will shine that night-
Elbonian Folklore

Janet B. said:

I use Barb's method, only no peas, tomato sometimes barley, sometimes
potato and then green beans and cabbage. It's all good. I think the
important part is to get the beef tender and tasty. From there on it's up
to your tastes.
Janet

Thank you! I don't use a pressure cooker, but feel sure the usual braising
method will be fine for the soup. I want to use barley for its health
properties,
and probably will use potatoes too. How to you cut up the cabbage, in what
size pieces? I am having a hard time imagining cabbage in vegetable beef
soup for
some reason.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

"Nancy Young" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

This is a nice soup and smells great while it is cooking. I use beef
base rather than boullion.

Beef barley soup from Betty Crocker

(I've never added the MSG, and I use larger amounts of
the seasonings. nancy)

[snips}

This looks really good. Like you, I will forgo the MSG.
(One of the reasons I cook is to keep stuff like this out of
our food.) And, I don't use bouillion unless desperate, and
then only as a seasoning. I would also use beef broth. I
assume Kroger has a beef equivalent to the chicken broth
I buy from them, in the carton. It's good, and often on sale
at half the price of other "name" brands.

I think I will add white corn and peas for texture.

The beef broth to tomato ratio looks just right. I will
taste to get it perfect. The right balance is to me the key
to a good vegetable beef soup. Good and beefy tasting,
but with just enough tomato tang. I will also add the beefy
broth from the braising, that ought to be really good.

I actually do this when I braise pork for stir fry, put the
brown juice in after I put the vegetables in the oil, and
before I put the meat in and the seasonings/soy.

Thank you.

Quoted message said:

1 pound boneless chuck, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup water
2 teaspoons instant beef bouillon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon each dried marjoram & thyme
1/4 teaspoon MSG
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
4 cups water
3 medium carrots, sliced
1 large stalk celery, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (16 oz) whole tomatoes with liquid
1/2 cup uncooked barley

Cook and stir beef in oil in 4 quart Dutch oven over medium
heat until brown. Stir in 1 cup water, the bouillon through
the bay leaf. Cover and simmer until beef is tender,
1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Stir in 4 cups water and remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling,
reduce heat. Cover and simmer until carrots are tender, about
35 minutes.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

In article <[email hidden]>,

cybercat said:

How to you cut up the cabbage, in what
size pieces? I am having a hard time imagining cabbage in vegetable beef
soup for some reason.

In my world, sliced about 1/8" thick and put it in in the last three or
four minutes. I don't think you'll regret it.

leo

--
<http://web0.greatbasin.net/~leo/>

One time on Usenet said:

I've never made this. I will braise the beef and cut into bite-sized pieces.

I want a base that is beef broth with a bit of tomato.

(I know, it's hardly soup weather, but we eat it year round, and I want it
perfected by the fall ...)

Now that everyone has given you their advice about tomato based beef
stew (which is, of course, what you wanted) allow me share my favorite
beef stew recipe, which my mother taught me. No tomato, but still very
good, kind of like pot roast with gravy:

Mom's Beef Stew

1 1/2 lb. stewing beef or cubed chuck steak (I prefer the steak)
4-5 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 lb. baby carrots
3 T. flour
Dipping flour, seasoned
Cold water
Shortening/oil

Melt shortening/heat oil in large kettle or dutch oven. Dredge meat
in seasoned flour, brown in oil. Remove from pan, set aside. Add 3 T.
flour to oil, stir & cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly add cold water,
mixing well and allowing to reheat between additions. Replace meat,
add more water if necessary. Allow to simmer for 1 1/2 hours, then
add potatoes and carrots, cook until tender, about another 1/2 hour.

--
Jani in WA

"cybercat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Janet B. said:

I use Barb's method, only no peas, tomato sometimes barley, sometimes
potato and then green beans and cabbage. It's all good. I think the
important part is to get the beef tender and tasty. From there on it's
up to your tastes.
Janet

Thank you! I don't use a pressure cooker, but feel sure the usual braising
method will be fine for the soup. I want to use barley for its health
properties,
and probably will use potatoes too. How to you cut up the cabbage, in what
size pieces? I am having a hard time imagining cabbage in vegetable beef
soup for
some reason.

You're welcome! Depending upon how big a pot of soup (your discretion --
I'm usually working with 6 quarts of soup in a 8 quart pot), I quarter a
smaller cabbage and then slice into about 1/2 inch slices and then cut the
other way so that I end up with pieces about 1/2 inch or more square. For
me, the cabbage isn't there so much to be a cabbage vegetable as it is to
add a little special something to the broth. I add the cabbage about the
same time that I add the green beans, so the cabbage gets cooked beyond
being crunchy and really sort of becomes part of the soup. If that makes
any sense? Sometimes I use the pressure cooker for the beef and sometimes
not, but I always cook the rest of the soup without pressure. If I'm making
turkey soup -- a broth that I consider to be pretty full bodied and strong I
also add cabbage. The veggies change a little for turkey soup. I always
add corn and probably tomatoes and maybe some kind of dried bean. Start
with one of the suggested ideas for beef soup and then change it up to suit
your taste. Then it's Cybercat's Beef Soup!
Janet

"cybercat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Nancy Young" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

This is a nice soup and smells great while it is cooking. I use beef
base rather than boullion.

Beef barley soup from Betty Crocker

(I've never added the MSG, and I use larger amounts of
the seasonings. nancy)

[snips}

This looks really good. Like you, I will forgo the MSG.
(One of the reasons I cook is to keep stuff like this out of
our food.) And, I don't use bouillion unless desperate, and
then only as a seasoning. I would also use beef broth. I
assume Kroger has a beef equivalent to the chicken broth
I buy from them, in the carton. It's good, and often on sale
at half the price of other "name" brands.

I think I will add white corn and peas for texture.

The beef broth to tomato ratio looks just right. I will
taste to get it perfect. The right balance is to me the key
to a good vegetable beef soup. Good and beefy tasting,
but with just enough tomato tang. I will also add the beefy
broth from the braising, that ought to be really good.

I actually do this when I braise pork for stir fry, put the
brown juice in after I put the vegetables in the oil, and
before I put the meat in and the seasonings/soy.

Thank you.

Back in the old days, folks used to be able to go to the store and get beef
bones for next to nothing and that's what we used along with the beef to
get a good rich broth. Nowadays the cost of beef knuckle bones makes me
gasp.
Janet

In article <[email hidden]>,

cybercat said:

Janet B. said:

I use Barb's method, only no peas, tomato sometimes barley, sometimes
potato and then green beans and cabbage. It's all good. I think the
important part is to get the beef tender and tasty. From there on it's up
to your tastes.
Janet

Thank you! I don't use a pressure cooker, but feel sure the usual
braising method will be fine for the soup. I want to use barley for
its health properties, and probably will use potatoes too. How to you
cut up the cabbage, in what size pieces? I am having a hard time
imagining cabbage in vegetable beef soup for some reason.

It's good in soup if you don't overdo it, IMO. Cabbage and tomato
flavors are very compatible. I cut a wedge and slice and chop -- not
shredded. If you cook the barley in the soup it'll thicken it up. I
like to cook my barley separately and add it shortly before serving.
YMMV.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com - story and
pics of Ronald McDonald House dinner posted 6-24-2007

"hahabogus" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I use beef knuckle bones...first I roast them to get a darker stock. Then
(to water to cover) I add a large carrot (broken in half), large onion
(skin and all) cut in half, some celery ribs, 10 or so peppercorns, a
clove or 3 of garlic and a bay leaf or 3. This I simmer a while, till
it's a rich stock. I do this in a pasta pot the kind with a insert (full
of holes) so the larger crud is easier to remove. I chuck out the spend
veggies and bones. I refrigerate this so skiming the fat is easier

I love making stock. At this point in my life, the time element dictates
that I use canned broth. But your recipe sounds good. I have only
made chicken, not beef stock.

Just bought an 8-lb whole sirloin tip (it may not be as tender as chuck
but it was $1.89 a lb at Lion!) to use to make the soup. I will use a
small portion and freeze the rest in 2-lb portions.

[...]

Quoted message said:

The trick is when to add the veggies...add the stuff that cooks up faster
nearer the end.

Yes indeed! This is how I make my stew. I will brown and braise this sirloin
tip,
and add the juice to the broth I bought, after I have removed the meat for
dicing.

"Leonard Blaisdell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

cybercat said:

How to you cut up the cabbage, in what
size pieces? I am having a hard time imagining cabbage in vegetable beef
soup for some reason.

In my world, sliced about 1/8" thick and put it in in the last three or
four minutes. I don't think you'll regret it.

I think that would work in my world too!

"Janet B." <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

You're welcome! Depending upon how big a pot of soup (your discretion --
I'm usually working with 6 quarts of soup in a 8 quart pot), I quarter a
smaller cabbage and then slice into about 1/2 inch slices and then cut the
other way so that I end up with pieces about 1/2 inch or more square. For
me, the cabbage isn't there so much to be a cabbage vegetable as it is to
add a little special something to the broth.

Makes perfect sense!

"Melba's Jammin'" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

It's good in soup if you don't overdo it, IMO. Cabbage and tomato
flavors are very compatible. I cut a wedge and slice and chop -- not
shredded. If you cook the barley in the soup it'll thicken it up. I
like to cook my barley separately and add it shortly before serving.

Thank you. This time I will make it with just the usual vegetables
my husband likes (this is the first time I am making HIS MOTHER's
SPECIALTY, just about the only thing she cooks any more--his
suggestion and I asked three times if he was sure he wanted me
to make it!)--green beans, carrots, potatoes, early peas, baby
limas, field peas, and white corn. A can of whole tomatoes will
add the tomato touch and the bits of tomato. I have some lovely
fresh tomatoes a neighbor gave me, and I might toss in some diced.

Later I will deviate from Mama's ingredients a bit. 😉 (As it is, I am
using many fresh vegetables, and EVERY LAST THING in hers,
including the beef, comes from a can. Strangely, it is very good.
One of the mysteries of life.

cybercat said:

I've never made this. I will braise the beef and cut into bite-sized

pieces.

Quoted message said:

I want a base that is beef broth with a bit of tomato.

(I know, it's hardly soup weather, but we eat it year round, and I want it
perfected by the fall ...)

- Do it a slow cooker, it has time for the flavors to really meld (I do mine
for eight hours or so)...

- Add a quart or so of dark ale or beer, something like Guiness Stout, it
will give the soup a deeeeeep richness of flavor...

- If doing in a slow cooker (or even not), add some beef bones of some sort,
you can fish them out after the soup is done. This will add another nice
layer of flavor...

- Soups I always cook and put overnight in the fridge, this gives the soup
time to "set", flavor - wise...

--
Best
Greg

"I am smarter than you think I am"
- Maryanne "Loafhead" Kehoe to me
in alt.gossip.celebrities