The Perfect Winter Meal
Steak Soup
We are presently preparing a cookbook for publication; meanwhile, we have decided to share a few recipes with you. I hope you enjoy one of our absolute favorites!
Everyone in my household loves soup, thus it is one of our staples. I usually make a large pot of soup every week, and we eat out of it for several days, until it is gone. We eat soup year around, but Steak Soup is definitely one we tend to enjoy more on colder nights, as it has a slight kick which gets your heart beating a bit faster! (Though of course, that is personal preference – how much paprika would you like to add?)
Historically, once man was able to create a vessel which would hold boiling water, soups were placed on the menu. It is the perfect one pot meal, which allows the cook endless opportunities for variety, based on ingredients on hand, the number of people needed to serve, and personal preference.
In the 16th century, the French used the word restaurant, which meant something restoring, when referring to a soup, sold by street vendors, which claimed to have healing powers. In 1765, the first soup shop was opened in Paris, and was called a restaurant!
This recipe was inspired by a bowl of steak soup that we ate in Texas, at a restaurant called Texas Land & Cattle, in Austin. It really was the most marvelous soup – very hearty with the smoky taste of grilled steaks. I do not have their recipe, but I think you will find mine to be quite delicious.
Steak Soup
Ingredients:
2-3 lbs Beef Roast or Steak (You do not need a good cut of beef, as it will be boiled.)
2 medium diced Onions
2 cloves of Garlic
Olive Oil
8 cups of Beef Broth or Water
½ cup of Red Wine Optional
1 14oz. can of crushed or diced Tomatoes
2 teaspoons of Sugar
2 Bay Leaves
1 tablespoon of Sweet Paprika
1 tablespoon of Oregano
1 tablespoon of Marjoram
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 large diced Potatoes – you can use baked potatoes, adding at the end.
3 large sliced Carrots or a cup of Baby carrots
1 cup of Corn
1-3 medium Zucchini, sliced and quartered
1 cup of green Cabbage, cut into bite size pieces
Directions:
This soup is best when the roast is first seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic, and then smoked in a barbeque fired by charcoal and hickory. I realize this may seem complicated, but if you plan ahead and the next time you are barbequing, you can smoke the roast, to make the soup the next day or up to a week later. If you can not smoke the roast, then I recommend placing it in a slow cooker for at least five hours, and adding several tablespoons of liquid smoke to pot, along with the onions, garlic, and olive oil. Set the meat aside.
In a large stock pot, brown the onions and then add the garlic; sauté them until tender, and celery, then tomatoes, wine, half of the broth or water, paprika and herbs. If you like, you can add a few teaspoons of Liquid Smoke to the stock, especially if you were unable to smoke the meat. While I tend not to like artificial ingredients, there are occasions when the exception makes a sense.
Bring the combined ingredients to a boil, skimming off any scum which rises to the top. Let the stock simmer for at least an hour, to incorporate all of the flavors.
Add all juices from the meat, along with meat and vegetables, with the cabbage going in at the very end, once you have turned off the heat. Serve with homemade biscuits and honey butter for a perfect meal.
Alternative:
If you do not have the time to barbeque or slow cook the meat, you can also simply cut a lean piece of beef into chunks, sauté it in hot oil, and use that as your meat base for the soup.
Once the meat is browned, add the onions and then the garlic; sauté them until tender, and celery, then tomatoes, wine, half of the broth or water, paprika and herbs. Again, if you like, you can add a few teaspoons of Liquid Smoke to the stock.
Bring the combined ingredients to a boil, skimming off any scum which rises to the top. Let the stock simmer for at least an hour, to incorporate all of the flavors. Then add the rest of the vegetables, cook for a few more minutes, and serve hot!
If you are using the alternative recipe, sauté the meat until brown.
Add onions, and then garlic
Sauté the celery with the meat and onions.
Fresh Herbs! I am blessed to be able to grow so many of the herbs that I use to cook with, as their freshness truly enhances the flavor. In this recipe, I used my own bay leaves, marjoram and Greek oregano. The sweet paprika, I brought back from Hungary, it is not a spice I use often, but when I do, I am always pleased with the intensity that it adds. You may also want to try the hot paprika.
There are many brands of liquid smoke on the market, and I have not found one to be better than the next; but it is a handy addition to your spice cabinet.
Sauté the seasonings for a few minutes, to truly open up the flavors before adding stock or water.
Skim the Scum!
(The lighter colored foam you see above.)
It can be a tedious procedure, but you really do want to remove the congealed proteins which rise to the top of your pot.
Add the vegetables according to how long it will take them to cook, and your preference in texture.
A beautiful stock!
The adaptability of recipes is to me key, when considering what to cook. Today, when I made our soup, I took personal preference into consideration, using less herbs than I normally would, and forgoing the potatoes, as I thought about my Mother’s palate and health concerns, I also added frozen lima beans, because I know how much she enjoys them. Not having zucchini on hand, I used fresh okra which I love! However, Kate is not a big fan of okra, so I am adding it to the hot soup almost as a garnish, for me and my Mother, once the bowl has been served. I have also used fresh or canned string beans, which fit well, as do Brussels sprouts, and even pumpkin chunks. Once again, thinking about my Mother, I used shredded cabbage which will be easier for her. The varieties are limitless, use your imagination; with soup there are no wrong answers.
Soups are a great source of nutrition, ensuring that you are getting your daily douse of recommended vegetables, as well as the ideal comfort food on a cold winter’s night! That is all for now.
