What cut of beef do you usually do this with?
Anything I have in my freezer. It stews so long that it doesn’t matter how tough a cut it is!
That being said, if it’s something very fatty, I trim the fat before browning it in the bacon drippings. Of course, you have to S&P it first, too. This has become such second-nature to me that I often forget to mention it in recipes.
Do you just toss it in as a roast, or do you chunk it up beforehand? (In other words, how “done” does the times you’ve listed get it?)
I got this recipe here, long ago, and I’ve posted it back once or twice. I just made some the other day.
Refried Bean Soup
1 can refried beans (I use black beans.)
1 can chicken stock
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes
Frozen corn
Sour cream
Tortilla chips
Put the stock and the refried beans in a pot at medium-low, and stir to break up any lumps. Add the tomatoes and a handful or two of the corn. Stir once in a while until hot, scraping the bottom. Serve with a dollop of sour cream in each bowl, and chips on the side.
Variations: Add sliced onion or peppers and simmer till done. If you want meat, use ham, smoked brisket, pulled pork, or whatever; just cook it first, or simmer long enough in the soup. Shred cheese on top if you like.
Well, the Hungarian sausages in the Cabbage Soup are pretty heavily spiced with paprika and they are smoked pork sausages, so I figured a bit less bacon and Paprika were required… but it could probably stand a bit more tomato paste, afterall. The cabbage soup recipe is also based on a more delicate “Fein” German/Hungarian soup recipe that I found. German soup is generally very flavorful, but the spices are a bit more subdued and refined. Of course, the extra Tomato Paste, Bacon, and Paprika would not hurt in the Cabbage soup, and I’d even recommend it if you prefer a bolder and heartier soup.
The reasoning behind adding more of the flavorful ingredients to the paprikas soup was directly related to the bland nature of the chicken and noodles (starch) and a direct translation of the way that I make proper Chicken Paprikas. Chicken Paprikas usually has a very thick and heavily paprikad sauce that runs down over the chicken and flavors the noodles.
Hope that makes sense…
Also an addendum to the addendum on Chicken Paprikas Soup: One should toss the cubed chicken in the flour and fry it in the bacon drippings in the beginning along with the onions and garlic to get a nice brown sear on the chicken and get it started. Add the tomato paste and paprika to the seared chicken, bacon, onions and garlic as directed, thinning with the stock and transfering it all to the crockpot.
Not to hijack the thread, but have you triedthese, jsgoddess? I will never again cook anything in the crock pot without one.
Yep. I use those when I make chili, since that’s so hard to get back off. My normal pot roasts and things are very easy to clean.
Love all the ideas! I’m bookmarking this thread.
Here is my contribution:
Low-Fat Cheesy Vegetable Soup **Adapted from a recipe I found on cooks.com
1 bag “winter blend” vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower & carrots)
2 good-sized potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 cans reduced fat chicken broth
1 clove minced garlic
1 can evaporated skim milk
1/2 block reduced-fat Velveeta “cheese”
salt and pepper to taste
Boil potatoes, onions, garlic and veggies in chicken broth until tender. If needed, add water to cover. Use stick blender to puree until desired chunkiness. (Or transfer portions to food processor and process until not quite smooth. Put back in soup pot.) Add evaporated milk and put over low heat. Cut Velveeta into small chunks, add to pot and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper.
I’ve found that I wanted it cheesier and added more of the Velveeta.
Or make the full-fat version with cream instead of the skim-evap milk, real cheese, and maybe bacon at the outset with the veggies cooked in the renderings.
Proudest Monkey, I make something like that only with cream cheese instead of Velveeta. Such a good cold weather soup!
Again with my paprikas based crockpot soups, sorry… But one could substitute any flavor of TVP in my Hungarian Cabbage or Paprikas Soup. Maybe Vegetarian Chorizo and chopped Veggie Burgers in the Cabbage Soup. Tofurkey and Veggie Chorizo in the Chicken Paprikas Soup. That is in absolution of any meat. Substitute Olive Oil for Bacon Drippings.
Red wine would not hurt any configuration… just a glug.
Manhattan Clam Chowder
¼ cup bacon pieces (trim off fat or it won’t be spongy in soup)
¼ cup minced onion
(2) 7 oz cans of minced or chopped clams drained (reserve liquor)
2 cups diced pared potatoes
1 cup water
1/3 cup diced celery
1 can (16oz) diced tomatoes
2 tsp. snipped parsley
Pinch of basil
1 tsp. salt (bacon already has salt so add this as needed)
¼ tsp. thyme
1/8 tsp. pepper
In large saucepan, cook and stir bacon and onion until bacon is crisp and onion is tender. Stir in reserved clam liquor, potatoes, water and celery. Cook uncovered until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add clams, tomatoes and seasonings. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.
If this is going to be frozen for future use then undercook potatoes so that the re-heating process does not overcook them.
You had me at the bacon.
I also recommend the gumbo. The roux is the hardest part (it takes patience) but it’s worth it.
Technically, these are Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian Dishes. Egg Noodles and Sour Cream.
I really must state that though the Sour Cream is “to Garnish” that it is an important ingredient, an integral ingredient. Both dishes would be incomplete and replete without. You Veg Ladies really do need it, as well. Strong Bones. Some of you people really have me worrying about your unhealthy relationship to food.
AB’s Christmas Soup is getting pretty good reviews on the Yahoo Good Eats group. And you can modify it in multiple ways, from choice of sausage, to substituting canned beans, to choice of greens, to additions of onion, bay leaf, or whatever. It really is flexible enough that you could get it on the table in well less than 30 minutes if needed.
Norinew, do you think this would work with pork instead of beef? I had to buy a too-big pork roast and am looking for ways to use half of it.
While I’ve never tried it with pork, the other ingredients seem like they’d be complimentary; the one change I’d make is that I’d use chicken stock instead of beef stock.
Stretched-Out Soup (because I had only one can of soup and needed to expand it for more servings): Saute a chopped green pepper and chopped onion in a little olive oil till it loses its crunch (you could add garlic now if you like) - dump in a can of diced tomatoes, a bay leaf, a pinch of rosemary, a drained can of black-eyed peas, and a can of Campbell’s Chunky Grilled Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. You could add some cooked rice, sliced sausage, kielbasa, leftover chicken - it’s flexible. If it’s too thick, thin with chicken broth. Simmer covered half an hour. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed, and as much Tabasco as you like.
I hate zombies
Sorry madrabbitwoman but history and life are like a shampoo bottle…
Rinse and repeat … kinda like “dejavu’, all over again”
Sit back, I may even add my favorite soup…
tsfr