Soup
 

I've never made a real soup before. Right now I've got the following cooking based on a soup my friend made for me last week.

3 smallish yellow onions
half a red pepper
4 carrots
2 yellow squash
3 things of garlic
about 1.5lbs of stewing beef.

First I browned the onions in some olive oil, added the pepper and carrots after about 15 minutes and sauted them all for about 5minutes with some salt and italian seasoning (basil, parsley, other good stuff).

I browned the beef in some olive oil and butter seasoned with cayenne, chili pepper and salt.

Once the beef was browned I added all the veggies and put a few cups of water into the pot. Seasoned with lots of thyme, salt, black pepper and a few bay leaves.

I'm going to let the soup simmer for about 40 mins, add the squash and let it simmer for another 20-30 mins.

How does my soup sound OOT chefxperts? I basically just went for easy and simple with stuff I had in the kitchen. Anyone else got some great recipes?

Re: Soup
 

Simmer just the beef just in some water/canned beef broth for a bit more than an hour. Brown the beef as planned, then combine onions, garlic and broth. Bring to boil, let simmer for an hour or an hour and a half. Then I'd add the veggies. If you add them with the beef, the meat will be too tough, or the veggies too soft. I'd probably pick out about half the veggies and puree them when the soups done, then add it back.

Re: Soup
 

I'm not a fan of hamburger in soup, but so be it. Still wish you luck.

Good tip on putting different veggies in at different times. I'd put the peppers in not too long before you're done, to keep some crispiness and freshness in the flavor.

I think I would go for at least one more texture. The squash and carrots will both be some variation of soft and maybe even mushy depending on how you cook them. I think a starchy vegetable like potatoes would be good, or spaetzle, or something mealy like beans of some sort -- or both!

P.S. if you like soups with red meat in them, consider throwing in even just a tiny bit of sausage, in slices or very finely chopped. It adds a lot of flavor even in small amounts.

Re: Soup
 

Update: I had the first bowl a litle later than I had planned but it was still pretty good. Meat was tough but could be just becasue it was cheap beef. Squash was excellent, great texture and flavor. 2nd bowl was much better as some more flavour got into the broth and the vegetable texture was a little better. My roomate had a bowl when he got home and said it was also tasty so overall I'm pretty happy with it. Still some leftovers for dinner or a snack tomorrow night.

Definitely going to take the tip on adding vegetables at different times. The overall texture was pretty good but could be better.

Re: Soup
 

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P.S. if you like soups with red meat in them, consider throwing in even just a tiny bit of sausage, in slices or very finely chopped. It adds a lot of flavor even in small amounts.

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That sounds good. I've got some italian sausage in the fridge, I think I'll fry one up tomorrow chop it up and add it to today's leftovers - definitely could add that kick I think it might be missing.

Re: Soup
 

Though the definition/word is probably only academic, I could be wrong and it won't effect the taste anyway, I think what you have is more stew than soup. As I see it.

Tips: Use stock, not water. Maybe try roasting that pepper first. Puree some of it, or all of it, to finish.

I'm a fan of vegetable stews made with good homemade stock. Potatoes and sweet potatoes and carrot and celery and onion and roasted peppers and squash. I like to caramelize the onions first, seperately, using a little sugar to help them along. A touch of bacon is nice, but not too much. Cumin and cinnamon and nutmeg are nice flavors. Salt and pepper. Puree to desired thickness.

Re: Soup
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

P.S. if you like soups with red meat in them, consider throwing in even just a tiny bit of sausage, in slices or very finely chopped. It adds a lot of flavor even in small amounts.

[/ QUOTE ]

That sounds good. I've got some italian sausage in the fridge, I think I'll fry one up tomorrow chop it up and add it to today's leftovers - definitely could add that kick I think it might be missing.

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Cool. Keep in mind that prepared meats like that are usually salty, and anyway spicy, so adjust your salt and spices accordingly. Should give a big extra punch to your soup.

Also consider adding some sort of hot sauce or hot peppers in small amounts. Sometimes it really gives the soup a lot of kick without making it very noticeably hot. Just have to control it right. It's a little tricky, but as a trick, it's pretty cool and worth trying several times to figure out how to make it work for you.

Re: Soup
 

sweat carrots, onions, and red pepper in some olive oil and some salt over medium low heat. Don't saute or color the veggies.

After 8-10 minutes or until veggies get soft, add the squash and minced garlic. Let the squash get some color and the garlic to release flavor. Then add seasoned meat. Stewing beef is fine, but I also like using london broil, flank, or plate. Even using top sirloin is good and cheap. Brown the meat on all sides, add oil if needed.

Then add water to cover. Add all the seasonings/herbs you want. Bay and thyme are usual ones to add. I've never tried basil in soups, but I don't think you'd go wrong. I'd save the chopped parsley until the end for a fresh flavor.

Other optional ingredients:

Sausage as someone else said.
Potatoes, corn, or peas (or really, an veggie you like)

Also, I'd refrain from using boxed or canned beef broth/stock. Boxed or canned chicken broth/stock tastes good, but boxed or canned beef broth/stock tastes bad.