Description
This hearty Vegetable Beef Soup features tender stewing beef, fresh vegetables, and a rich broth enhanced with red wine or stout, simmered to perfection for a comforting and flavorful meal ideal for any season.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil, separated
- 500g/1 lb stewing beef, cut into 1.75cm / 2/3” cubes
- 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (1 tbsp)
- 2 celery stalks, cut into 0.8 cm / 1/3” slices
- 3 carrots, cut into 0.5 cm / 1/5” thick slices (halve larger ones)
- 4 tbsp flour
- 2 1/2 cups (625ml) beef broth/stock, low sodium
- 1 1/2 cups (375ml) dry red wine, Guinness beer or stout
- 1.5 cups (375ml) water
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 potatoes, cut into 1.5cm / 2/3” cubes
Buttery Mushrooms (optional)
- 1 tbsp butter or oil
- 200g/6oz small mushrooms, quartered or halved
Instructions
- Heat the oil and brown the beef. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy-based pot over high heat until very hot. Pat the stewing beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown the beef aggressively in 2 or 3 batches, adding more oil if needed. Remove browned beef and set aside.
- Sauté the aromatics and vegetables. If the pot is dry, add a little more oil. Add minced garlic and chopped onion and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Then add sliced carrots and celery and cook for another 2 minutes until the onion becomes translucent.
- Make the roux and add liquids. Stir in the flour to coat the vegetables, then slowly pour in the beef broth while stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Add the red wine, water, tomato paste, bay leaves, and dried thyme. Stir well to combine.
- Add beef and simmer the soup. Return the browned beef to the pot. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low so the soup is bubbling gently. Simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the beef is tender.
- Add potatoes and peas. Add the cubed potatoes and frozen peas to the pot. Continue simmering uncovered for 20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked.
- Prepare and add buttery mushrooms (optional). While the soup simmers, melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes until browned. Add the mushrooms to the soup in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
- Season and serve. Remove bay leaves. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste, adding plenty of black pepper if desired. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with parsley if wished, and serve with crusty bread such as cheesy garlic bread or Irish soda bread.
Notes
- Use well-marbled stewing or braising beef like chuck or boneless short rib for best flavor and tenderness.
- Choose a dry, full-bodied red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, or use Guinness or stout beer to deepen the broth’s flavor.
- For a non-alcoholic alternative, add a can of crushed tomato and Worcestershire sauce to mimic flavor complexity.
- This soup improves in flavor when reheated and can be stored in the fridge for 4 to 5 days or frozen for longer preservation.
- The mushrooms are optional but add a nice richness and texture to the soup.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approximately 320g)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
