This Italian beef soup will spice up your life and fill up your bellies on chilly fall and winter nights. Some of the interesting steps in this recipe really do pay off. I followed it to a ‘T’ and found it to be absolutely delicious and worth any extra effort some might feel it requires.
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 – 1½ inch cubes
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 32 ounces (4 cups) beef stock
- 1 cup Entwine Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 4 cups chopped red potatoes, bite size pieces (about ½″)
- 3 cups chopped baby carrots, bite size pieces
- fresh parsley to garnish, optional
- Trim hard fat (which does not melt during the cooking process) and silver skin (white and silvery looking) from beef and cut into 1 – 1½″ cubes. It takes about 5 minutes, but don’t skip this step. It is sooo worth it.
- Combine flour, paprika, pepper and 1 teaspoon salt in a large 1 gallon resealable bag. Seal and shake to combine. Add beef and shake until well coated
- Warm olive oil in a large dutch oven (or heavy bottom pot), over medium high heat, once you can feel warmth when holding your hand 6 inches from the pot, add butter. Once butter is melted, carefully add beef. Do not crowd the pot, only add about ½ of the beef at a time.
- Remove beef from flour and shake gently to remove loose flour. Place coated beef in pan, one piece at a time, brown on all sides. Cook in two batches, about half each time. Turn pieces until all sides are browned and remove them and place place in your upside down pot lid. Once the first batch is cooked, add the second batch and repeat.
- Prepare shallot and garlic. Shallot should be diced and garlic minced. Set aside.
- Once all beef is browned, add shallots and garlic. Cook until translucent. Add wine and deglaze pan by scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Add beef stock, Worchestershire and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine. Return beef to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to simmer. Allow soup to simmer for about 45 minutes.
- Prepare potatoes and carrots. Cut vegetables into bite size pieces. Set aside.
- Add potatoes and carrots. Stir to coat vegetables and cover. Cook 40-50 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender. Taste broth. If necessary, add additional salt to taste.
- Garnish your Italian beef soup with fresh parsley if desired.