Beef Soup

Beef soup © kvalifood.com

Beef soup is a rich, clear broth made from brisket, shank, or chuck with root vegetables. Most of the cooking time is passive. The soup is served with flour dumplings and meatballs, and the boiled beef is brought to the table afterwards with horseradish sauce.

Ingredients

Yields 6 servings

  • 1 1/2–2 kg beef (brisket, short ribs, shank, oxtail, chuck, or shoulder)
  • beef marrow bones (optional)
  • 2–2 1/2 l water
  • bouquet garni
  • 1/2 celeriac
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 parsley root (or parsnip) (optional)
  • 2 leeks
  • salt

Accompaniments

  • flour dumplings (or meatballs)

Directions

Cooking the meat

Place the beef in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring slowly to a boil and skim thoroughly. Add the bouquet garni and salt, put on the lid, and reduce the heat.

Vegetables

Clean the celeriac, carrots, and parsley root if using, and add them to the pot. Remove the vegetables as they become tender. The beef needs 2–3 hours total. Take the meat out when it is tender.

Finishing

Remove the bouquet garni and any bones. Strain the broth and skim the fat. Clean the leeks, slice them, and cook in the broth. Cut the remaining vegetables into dice and warm them in the broth. Adjust seasoning. Warm the dumplings or meatballs in the soup before serving — do not let the soup boil after this point.

Serving

Serve the soup with dumplings and vegetables. The boiled beef is served afterwards with horseradish sauce and bread or potatoes. Veal soup is made the same way, just with a shorter cooking time.

Notes

  • Start with cold water and skim thoroughly — this gives a clear broth
  • Use whole vegetables during cooking and add fresh diced vegetables at the end for better texture
  • Marrow bones add more body and depth to the broth
  • The boiled beef can be sliced and served directly in the soup instead of on the side
  • Freezing: 2–4 months