Beef Veg soup meat prep?

[bethzaring]

I've got some frozen beef stew chunks that I want to use in a beef vegetable soup. The chunks are about 1"+. If I was making stew, I would flour/season/brown the chunks. What do I do to make soup? Boil, flour and brown, brown only with onions/garlic? something else? Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[Uncle Bob]

I brown soup meat...no flour...Then simmer slowly till tender. Remove the meat and build the soup from the stock/broth...add the meat back in just before you're ready to eat.
If you wanna brown some onions at the same time...Go for it....Garlic may burn...add it later.

Enjoy!

 

[Andy M.]

I treat soup meat the same as stew meat. The two are very similar. I brown it. I add flour later to thicken if I think it's needed.

 

[bethzaring]

When I start a soup, I saute onions, celery, carrots first, add stock and other veggies. So are you two suggesting I do separate steps; brown the meat in one pan and start the soup in another pot? It seems like you are doing it all in one pot?

 

[Jeekinz]

I flour/brown the meat first then remove and set aside for later. In the same pot add the veg and cook those to your liking then add any dried herbs/wine. Once th pot is fragrant I add the liquid (water/stock) and finally the meat.

I made chicken soup yesterday the same way. I brown the parts first, then add them later to finish cooking. When the chicken is done, I remove the meat an add it to the soup. If you want the soup to simmer some more you can toss the bones back in for a deeper flavor.

 

[Andy M.]

What Jeeks said.

 

[bethzaring]

okay, thanks, I'm mentally prepared to go at it!

 

[Uncle Bob]

Sorry if I was confusing in what I do...For what's it worth I'll rephrase...

I brown the soup meat-usually cubed chuck- in a soup pot.
When it is browned to my liking - I add water/wine on top of the browned meat to deglaze the pot.
I simmer the meat in this water/wine mixture until tender - This becomes my soup (beef) stock/broth -- I remove the meat-It is done to perfect tenderness - I set it aside.
In the same pot that now contains my beef broth -that I just made-I add any and all vegetables - any and all herbs/spices-- except maybe potatoes -- I add them later so as not to over cook.
When all of this is done - vegetables not over cooked or mushy - I adjust seasoning --When it taste good my soup is almost done.
Then I add back the already browned and braised tender meat...Give it a few minutes to heat, and now my soup is done.

Enjoy!

 

[FincaPerlitas]

I start with a classic brown stock - meat, bones and vegetables baked in the oven at 350F until nicely browned. If you don't know how to make a brown stock, just Google it and you'll get hundreds of returns. "Joy of Cooking" has very good instructions as well.

 

[CharlieD]

There are no wrong way to make soup. You just get different result in the end.
I do not brown soup meat, nor do I sautee onions or anything else if it is a meat soup. I do do it if it is vegetarian soup though.
I cook meat till it is done then add vegetables. It all depends on what you want to have in the end. I say try to do it both ways and see which one you like better.

 

[Constance]

I have a big pot of vegetable beef soup simmering on the burner right now...wish you could smell it!
You don't have to brown the meat...my mother never did, and I didn't used to, and the soup was delicious. But since DH has started helping me make the soup, he does brown it, and I think it adds a lot of flavor to the soup.
We don't cook the meat and then remove it, as the others do. We just cook it a while along with the onions, celery and garlic, and then start adding vegetables according to their cooking times.

 

[bethzaring]

hey connie, i think i can smell it! My soup turned out wonderful, but unlike any veg beef soup I had ever made. I usually start out with left over cooked meat. I did brown, and remove, the floured meat, and then ate on the soup for days!

 

[JMediger]

MMMM ... vegetable beef soup. Sounds perfect for the cold we are all experiencing! I'm glad your soup turned out well!

Had I read this earlier (ie - before you made your soup), I would have suggested what Uncle Bob does except I take out the meat and broth, then brown my onion and carrots, then add it all back in with whatever other frozen veggies I have until the meat is falling apart.

Again, glad it turned out well and thank you for the inspiration for dinner on Thursday!