Vegetable Beef Soup

I refuse to bore you with a dumb SEO stuffed story about how this easy vegetable beef soup recipe changed my life because it would be a huge lie. Do I think this is the best vegetable beef soup recipe? Yes. Is it a good weekend or weeknight dinner for yourself or your family? Yes. Is this vegetable beef soup good during the fall and winter? Absolutely! Let’s get down to business and get dinner on the table.

Ingredients

• 1.5 - 2 lbs of 1” cubed beef. I suggest something like boneless short ribs or chuck…fatty but not too fatty

• 1 whole diced yellow onion

• 4 cloves of minced garlic

• 4 carrots peeled and chopped into rounds

• 4 chopped celery stalks

• 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

• 4 tbsp of all purpose flour

• 32 oz of low sodium beef stock

• 1.5 cups of good red wine, Guinness, or a stout beer

• 1 6 oz can of tomato paste

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 tsp of herbs de provence or dried thyme

• 10 oz bag of frozen cut green beans

• 10 oz bag of frozen green peas

• 2 potatoes cubed into bite sized pieces. I suggest Yukon Gold, Russet or sweet potatoes

• Minced curly parsley for garnish

• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method

1. In a 6 quart or larger dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, add 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat

2. Add 1/2 of the cubed beef to the pot, season with kosher salt and black pepper and stir occasionally until lightly browned

3. Once the beef is browned, remove from the pot and set aside for later

4. Add the remaining extra virgin olive oil to the pot and repeat steps 2 and 3

5. If the pot is dry, add in more extra virgin olive oil

6. Add diced onions and cook for 2 minutes

7. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes

8. Add carrots and celery and cook for 2 minutes

9. Stir in the all purpose flour making sure not to burn

10. Once the vegetables are coated in all purpose flour and has become a roux, slowly add the beef stock while stirring constantly

11. Stir in tomato paste

12. Add the wine or beer, bay leaves, and herbs de provence or dried thyme

13. Add the beef back into the pot

14. Season with kosher salt and lack pepper

15. Bring the pot to a boil

16. Once the soup starts boiling, reduce to a simmer and cover for 90 minutes. Stir occasionally

17. After 90 minutes, taste for seasoning. Add kosher salt and black pepper as necessary

18. Add the cubed potatoes and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes

19. Add the green beans and green peas and simmer for an additional 10 minutes

20. Once the potatoes are cooked and the beef is tender the soup is done

21. Ladle portions into bowls

22. Garnish with parsley and serve with crusty bread