Vegetable Beef Soup

A great beef soup, perfect in any season, you can use the vegetables you like or you find in your fridge/freezer or at the market. My girls love this soup, I often replace the veal with chicken, either way it's tasty and healthy. The season for fresh veggies has just started, so take advantage and definitely try this vegetable beef soup, cooked in a countryside style.

Ingredients
Beef meat
1 kg
or any other meat you like, preferably veal
Parsnip
1 piece
White onion
2 pieces
Celery root
1 piece
a small one
Bell pepper
2 pieces
Carrots
1 piece
Tomato paste
1 tbsp
I used 2 tbsp canned diced tomatoes
Green peas
200 g
bean pods can be added here
Zucchini
1 piece
Potatoes
2 pieces
Sunflower oil
50 ml
Fresh parsley
3 tbsp
+lovage or thyme, to taste
Laurel leaves
2 pieces
Step by step
Step 1

Put the veal shank in a 4-5 litres big pot and pour water to cover completely.

Vegetable Beef Soup - Step 1
Step 2

Place over heat and, when it comes to a boil, skim off the foam. 

Add in the parsnip/parsley roots, 1 onion, 1 pepper and 2 bay leaves. 

Turn heat to low and simmer with the lid on.

Vegetable Beef Soup - Step 2
Step 3

Cooking time may vary depending on the meat. If it's veal shank, it should boil for an hour and a half. 

If it's beef, it might need more time, a pressure cooker could help.

Vegetable Beef Soup - Step 3
Step 4

Remove meat and veggies from the soup, let chill for a bit. 

I throw away the vegetables, they already gave their flavour and did their best.

Vegetable Beef Soup - Step 4
Step 5

Remove the bones and cut the meat into medium-sized cubes.

Vegetable Beef Soup - Step 5
Step 6

Heat up the oil in a skillet, stir in the diced carrot and braise for 5 minutes. 

Then add tomato paste or diced tomatoes.

Vegetable Beef Soup - Step 6
Step 7

Mix well, cook for 3-4 minutes more and turn off the heat.

Vegetable Beef Soup - Step 7
Step 8

Then we prepare the veggies: 

- dice the celery, potatoes, 1 onion, courgettes and 1 pepper

- add in peas or beans with pods

Vegetable Beef Soup - Step 8
Step 9

Return the meat cubes back to the soup, add the braised carrot and tomatoes and all the veggies.

Vegetable Beef Soup - Step 9
Step 10

Mix well and, when it comes to the boil, turn the heat to low and cook for 20-25 minutes.

Vegetable Beef Soup - Step 10
Step 11

After that, adjust the taste with salt and, optionally, with bors (fermented wheat bran) or lemon juice. I prefer to leave it like this. It has a special, kind of sweet, taste thanks to the veggies and the meat. 

Sprinkle some parsley and any other aromatic greens you like. Boil for 1-2 minutes and turn off the heat.

Allow the flavours to blend for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Vegetable Beef Soup - Step 11
Step 12

Serve with dollops of sour cream and great appetite, absolutely delicious!

Enjoy!

Vegetable Beef Soup - Step 12
Quantity: 4 l ()
Prep time:
30 min
Difficulty: easy
Ready in: 120 min