Vegetable Beef Soup (Fall apart beef!)

Vegetable Beef Soup (Fall apart beef!)

from recipetineats.com
Mains
125 min
419 kcal / serving

Recipe VIDEO above. Melt-in-your-mouth chunks of beef, vegetables and potato in a hearty herb infused broth. You'll love how the soup broth is slightly thickened and the extra flavour the wine or beer adds to the soup (the secret ingredient!). 20 minutes active cook/prep.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ tbspolive oil (, separated)
  • 500 g1 lb stewing beef (, cut into 1.75cm / 2/3" cubes (note 1))
  • ½ tspsalt and pepper
  • 1onion (, chopped)
  • 3garlic (, minced (1 tbsp))
  • 2celery (, cut into 0.8 cm / 1/3" slices)
  • 3carrots (, cut into 0.5 cm / 1/5" thick slices (halve larger ones))
  • 4 tbspflour
  • 2 ½ cupsbeef broth/stock (, low sodium)
  • 1 ½ cupsdry red wine, guinness beer or stout ((note 2))
  • 1 ½ cupswater
  • 2 tbsptomato paste
  • 2bay leaves
  • 1 tspthyme dried
  • 1 cupfrozen peas
  • 2potatoes ((any), cut into 1.5cm / 2/3" cubes)
  • 1 tbspbutter or oil
  • 200 g6oz small mushrooms (, quartered or halved)

Directions

  1. 1

    Heat 1 tbsp oil until very hot in a large, heavy based pot over high heat.

  2. 2

    Pat beef dry with paper towels, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

  3. 3

    Brown beef aggressively in 2 or 3 batches, adding more oil if needed. Remove browned beef into a bowl.

  4. 4

    If pot looks dry, add a touch more oil.

  5. 5

    Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 minutes.

  6. 6

    Add carrot and celery, cook for 2 minutes or until onion is translucent.

  7. 7

    Stir in flour, then slowly pour in beef broth while constantly stirring.

  8. 8

    Add beer, water, tomato paste, bay leaves and thyme, stir well. Then add the beef back in.

  9. 9

    Cover, adjust heat to medium low so it's bubbling gently. Simmer 1 hr 15 min or until beef is pretty tender.

  10. 10

    Add potatoes and peas, simmer for a further 20 minutes without the lid. Add cooked mushrooms in the last 5 minutes.

  11. 11

    The soup is ready when the potatoes are cooked and beef is very tender (see video).

  12. 12

    Adjust salt and pepper to taste (I like lots of pepper in this!).

  13. 13

    Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with crusty bread if desired. Try quick Cheesy Garlic Bread or super easy Irish Soda Bread!

Buttery mushrooms (optional):

  1. 1

    Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes until browned. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.