This vegetable beef soup is bright & flavorful, yet rich and comforting! Unlike many beef soups, this quick & easy soup is surprisingly light.
Ingredients
3tablespoonsolive oil
8ozbeef stew meatNote 1
1shallotminced
2garlic clovesminced
1-2carrotspeeled and sliced
1-2celery ribschopped
2medium potatoescubed
1teaspooncoarse kosher saltmore to taste
6cupsbeef stockNote 2
1medium roasted beetcubed, Note 3
2cupsshredded cabbageNote 4
1/2lemon
1teaspoonblack pepper
Instructions
Chop and prepare all the vegetables before you start cooking. (TIP: I do this as part of my meal prepping for the week. Some of the vegetables here are frozen.)
Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot, add beef in one layer and sear on both sides until nicely seared. Transfer onto a clean plate.
Add remaining tablespoon of oil into now empty dutch oven and add shallots and garlic. Cook stirring frequently until aromatic, about a minute. Then add carrots and celery. Cook until softened, 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in seared stew meat, potatoes, beef broth and salt. Cover and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
Add roasted beet and cabbage. Cook for another 10 minutes.
Squeeze in lemon juice from half a lemon. (Lemon juice is the secret ingredient that instantly brightens the flavors.) Salt and pepper to taste and serve!
Notes
Note 1: You may use sirloin steak in place of stew meat. Or another alternative is to use cooked beef from homemade beef bone broth, in which case you don't need to sear the meat and simply add the cooked meat along with beet and cabbage. Our butcher added some soup bones with plenty of meat on the bone, which is a great addition to the soup. Note 2: I'm using homemade beef stock here. But sometimes I also use "Better Than Bullion" beef base and I highly recommend it!Note 3: I freeze roasted beets all the time, because it's super convenient. But if you don't have roasted beets, you can totally use a raw beet. Just add it with potatoes.Note 4: You can use any kind of cabbage. I like to use a combination of Napa cabbage and red cabbage.Storage directions: - Refrigerate in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. - You can also freeze this soup for up to 3 months.