Mushroom Beef Vegetable Soup
I make this as a low carb dish for some friends when they are visiting. It is very rich and hearty.
I make this as a low carb dish for some friends when they are visiting. It is very rich and hearty.
- 3 cups water
- salt & pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 can tomatoes diced
- 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, chopped
- 4 tablespoons canola oil divided
- 1 large portabella mushroom chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds stew meat diced
- 2 whole garlic cloves pressed
- 1 whole carrot diced
- 2 cans beef broth
- 1 bunch escarole ribs removed and chopped
- Carbohydrate 5.25783855586531 g
- Cholesterol 39.97282760625 mg
- Fat 18.382733061316 g
- Fiber 1.86110559452559 g
- Protein 21.0184651388546 g
- Saturated Fat 5.04661302141914 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (415g)
- Sodium 520.844160738344 mg
- Sugar 3.39673296133973 g
- Trans Fat 1.63630789378493 g
- Calories 280 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet.
- and mushrooms and thyme.
- Season well with salt and pepper.
- Cook until nearly dry about 10 minutes.
- Add red wine and cook 3-4 more minutes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in large pot.
- Season stew meat with salt and pepper.
- Cook meat on high until browned.
- Add everything except mushrooms and escarole to pot.
- Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer.
- Cook until veggies are tender, around 15 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and escarole and simmer for 10 more minutes.
A raw ingredient list fails to show how umami compounds compound when portabella mushrooms hit high heat alongside dry red wine. Escarole requires careful addition timing so its fibrous structure breaks down without dissolving entirely into the broth.
- Brown the stew meat in batches inside a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven rather than crowding the base, because trapped moisture prevents the Maillard reaction needed for deep savory notes.
- Reduce the red wine until it is nearly dry to cook off raw ethanol tannins before introducing the beef broth and diced tomatoes.
- Simmer the base vegetables for precisely fifteen minutes until a paring knife inserts into the carrot cubes with zero resistance.
- Fold in the chopped escarole during the final ten minutes of simmering to preserve a slight structural bite against the tender beef.
- Store leftovers in an airtight glass container for up to four days, as the flavors coalesce further overnight in the refrigerator.
Proper sequencing transforms basic cuts of chuck and root vegetables into a cohesive broth without requiring hours of unattended simmering. Controlling heat application at each stage dictates whether the final texture remains clear or muddied.
