Robust Beef and Potato Soup

Sooz Cooks's Note:

The October 11-17, 2009 issue of the American Profile in my Saturday newspaper insert was entitled "Soup's On" A former Navy Seabee (Ken Haedrich) builds hearty soups for the fall and this is one of the soups that looked delicious to me. The recipes are from Ken's book Soup Makes the Meal (Harvard Common Press, 2001). Ken Haedrich says: This one is for the meat and potato lovers of the world. It has all the flavor and aroma of beef stew, and like stew, it tastes better on the second day. To make this even more stew-like, add some green beans or frozen lima beans

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 1 ¼ lbs beef stew meat , trimmed of fat
• 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion , chopped
• 1 stalk celery , chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms , thinly sliced
• 1 carrot , peeled and diced
• 1 garlic clove , minced
• 6 cups low sodium beef broth
• ¾ cup crushed tomatoes
• 1⁄3; cup dry red wine
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• fresh coarse ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 large russet potatoes , peeled and cubed

Directions:

1. Cut stew meat into bite-size pieces. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add meat and brown on all sides.
2. Transfer meat to a bowl. Add onion and celery to pan, adding more oil if needed. Cook, stirring, over medium heat 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, carrot and garlic. Cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except potatoes. Add beef.
3. Bring to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes and return soup to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.