Chunky Beef and Vegetable Soup
This main meal soup is created from cubed beef with lots of vegetables and herbs.
Simmer for 3½ hours and you will have tender beef soup which is deliciously filling, easy to cook and economical.
Ingredients for Chunky Beef and Vegetable Soup
450g / 1lb braising steak or shin beef
110g / 4oz tomatoes (any type)
80g / 3oz pearl barley
2 medium carrots
2 sticks celery
2 medium potatoes
1 large onion
1 level teaspoon dried parsley - a handul chopped if using fresh
1 level teaspoon dried thyme - 2 teaspoons chopped thyme if using fresh
¼ teaspoon Ground cumin
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons tomato concentrate
1.2 litres / 2 pints beef stock
Salt and Pepper
All the preparation below can be done while the beef is simmering
Roughly chop the carrots
Roughly chop the onion
Roughly chop the celery
Roughly chop the tomatoes
Remove any excess fat from the beef
Cut the beef into 1.5cm (½in) cubes
You may not always be able to buy shin beef from your local supermarket but they will sell stewing steak or similar. The cuts of beef in a packet of supermarket stewing steak is rarely disclosed but it is likely to include shin and some of the other cuts mentioned above. We prefer buying meat from our local butcher and choosing a specific cut, but supermarket braising steak is a good substitute.
Note that different supermarkets use different terms for stewing / casserole steak (terms used by Sainsburys). Tesco describe it as diced beef.
Cover the soup during cooking to reduce the heat required to keep it simmering and retain moisture.
Pour the beef stock into the large pan and add the chopped beef.
Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat down low to let the mixture simmer. Cover the pan with a lid to keep the liquid in and reduce the heat required to keep the mixture simmering.
Beef and stock simmering for Chunky Beef Soup
While the beef is simmering, prepare the vegetables as described above.
Add all the ingredients, except the potatoes, to the pan and stir well. Let the soup simmer for 2 hours 45 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Peel and cube the potatoes and add them to the soup. Cover and simmer the soup for 45 minutes more.
Chunky Beef and Vegetable Soup cooking
Serve the soup into warm bowls and provide lots of crusty fresh bread.
Chunky Beef and Vegetable Soup