Beef Soup from Scratch

Submitted by lolablitz

"This is how I make beef soup. It's a day-long process and produces a beef soup with amazing depth and flavor. Much of the stock process comes from the advice of my father. If you have large and meaty soup bones, use two, otherwise use 3. Roasting the bones prior to making the stock makes a world of difference in flavor. Be sure to leave the skin on the onion. It will also add significantly to the flavor and color of the stock. The soup (after the stock is made) is mostly taken from Jeff Smith's (Frugal Gourmet) recipe for Beef Barley Soup, but I swap yellow potatoes for the barley because it is better in texture. For the lemon peel, just use the zest. Simply use a grater to peel a small 1" x 1/2" or so piece and drop it in the soup. The lemon is really surprisingly wonderful."

 

• Ready In: 6hrs
• Ingredients: 21
• Serves: 6-8

ingredients

• stock
• 2 large soup bones with meat
• 1 cup madeira wine or 1 cup other cooking wine
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• water, to cover
• soup
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup carrot, chopped
• 1 cup yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 4 medium yellow potatoes, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 piece lemon peel, 1-inch x1/2-inch
• 2 teaspoons basil
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons oregano
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• salt and pepper

directions

1. Place the soup bones into a pyrex or jelly roll pan with a lip to catch the juices. Roast at 450 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.
2. Remove bones and place in large stockpot. Add Madeira or other wine to pan to deglaze. Pour over bones. Add carrots, onion, garlic, bay leaves and salt.
3. Cover everything with water.
4. Bring to a rolling boil. Lower to simmer. Simmer for 3 hours.
5. Strain stock into bowl. Discard solids (I always eat the carrots or give them to my toddler) and return stock to stockpot.
6. Heat to low simmer. Add celery, carrot, onion, potatoes, garlic, lemon peel.
7. Simmer for 1 hour.
8. Add the herbs and chopped tomato and paste, and continue cooking for 1 more hour. Correct for salt and pepper before serving.