Two-Step Soup
I originally made this as a soup-in-a-jar gift one year, but it quickly became a staple in our house. Because nearly every recipient asks for the recipe, I now include it on the gift tag. We--and the recipients, apparently--think it's delicious!
I originally made this as a soup-in-a-jar gift one year, but it quickly became a staple in our house. Because nearly every recipient asks for the recipe, I now include it on the gift tag. We--and the recipients, apparently--think it's delicious!
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- jar contents:
- 1 pioneer brown gravy mix 1 pkg
- 2 tablespoons mild chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
- 1/2 t garlic salt
- 12 crushed tortilla chips
- 1 cup uncooked pasta
- other ingredients:
- 1 can mexican corn
- 1 can chopped tomatoes (rotel)
- Carbohydrate 16.9571050018849 g
- Cholesterol 105.488569375 mg
- Fat 29.4638439589949 g
- Fiber 0.848191680561641 g
- Protein 21.4170577117885 g
- Saturated Fat 10.9155679000416 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (145g)
- Sodium 249.257472014888 mg
- Sugar 16.1089133213232 g
- Trans Fat 7.51253749235933 g
- Calories 422 calories
Step-by-step
- Step 1: Mix. Brown 1/2 pound ground beef in large saucepan. Drain. Return to pot and add dry ingredients. Stir in canned vegetables and 7 cups of water.
- Step 2: Cook. Simmer for 25 minutes or longer, at least until pasta is tender. Serve with crushed tortilla chips and shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, etc., if desired. Serves 8.
Traditional Mexican albóndigas relies on hand-rolled meatballs and a clear broth, whereas this preparation uses browned ground beef broken down directly in the vessel for a faster release of fats and proteins into the liquid. Browning meat before boiling accomplishes two physical tasks: it renders excess fat and builds savory depth through the Maillard reaction. When draining the cooked beef in a colander, retain roughly two tablespoons of rendered fat if a richer broth is desired. Pouring seven cups of cold water over the hot meat mixture will momentarily drop the temperature, so bring the pot back to a rolling boil over medium-high heat before reducing the burner to a gentle simmer for the 25-minute cook time.
Scaling this recipe requires precise ratio adjustments to prevent the starches from absorbing too much liquid or leaving the broth watery. Doubling the batch to serve sixteen people means multiplying the liquid by two, but dry pasta absorbs moisture at a fixed rate proportional to its surface area, so increase the uncooked pasta by only 1.75 times rather than doubling it outright to avoid a thick, porridge-like consistency. Conversely, halving the ingredients calls for dropping the water volume to three and a half cups while maintaining the same simmering duration. Ensure the heat remains low enough to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of a heavy-bottomed stainless steel saucepan.
Leftovers store safely in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, though the pasta will continue to swell as it sits in the liquid. Freezing is not recommended because the texture of reconstituted dry pasta degrades significantly upon thawing. Store dry components separately from wet ingredients if assembling jars for future meals.
