# What vegetables belong in a vegetable beef soup? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 12, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928 "2010-10-12T22:37:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/21 "2010-10-13T07:16:54Z")
Litttle hint, develop the roasted Oxtails with the root vegetables, maybe a touch of honey and some thyme. Lemon juice and a hint of orange zest ---
**Author:** ![Seamack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@Seamack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seamack)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/22 "2010-10-13T08:22:03Z")
Potatoes, celery, onions, carrots, peas and parsnips or turnips (both can be too sweet). A small bunch of parsley and a bay leaf or two never goes astray either. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/23 "2010-10-13T12:55:38Z")
Whatever I have available, unless I don’t have onions, then I don’t even start. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/24 "2010-10-13T14:36:56Z")
Parsnips. Definitely parsnips. ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/25 "2010-10-13T14:48:17Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Any vegetables are fine, except lima beans, which should be eradicated from the planet, including any cultivars or other variations which could be used to regenerate the line. Any remaining traces of lima beans, along with ten feet of soil removed from any land ever used to grow lima beans, should be incinerated in an underground nuclear explosion. and then nuke 'em from space. just to be sure.😃 (the queen DETESTS the very \*thought \*of lima beans let alone the reality ::shudder:: of them) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/26 "2010-10-13T14:56:50Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > Litttle hint, develop the roasted Oxtails with the root vegetables, maybe a touch of honey and some thyme. Lemon juice and a hint of orange zest What does “develop” mean here? ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/27 "2010-10-13T14:57:07Z")
I never put the green veggies into the soup itself. I don’t like slimy overcooked green beans or brown peas. I always use rutabagas and parsnips because I love the flavor they add. I usually roast the rutabagas, onion and carrots a bit with the meat while it’s browning. A handful each of ten-bean mix, whole oat groats, and barley. Also, there’s usually a half-used bag of frozen spinach in my freezer whch gets dumped into the pot just for the fibre. And nobody has mentioned Port. I can’t make a beef stew or soup without port. Finish it off with some potato gnocchi and put the green veggies in right before serving. If I’m freezing it I put the green veggies straight into the gladware, and then pour the hot soup on top and freeze. Helps to cool the soup quickly and the veggies come out perfect after re-heating. ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/28 "2010-10-13T15:35:20Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > Throw a swede in for those so inclined… Yes, swedes! We folks of Norwegian ancestory out here on the prairie always included at least half a swede in our vegetable beef soup. They quiet down once they’ve been in the pot for a while. Seems it always included carrots and some other root vegetable. Since the growing season was short the prairie folk learned to rely on things that could keep in the root cellar over the winter. Turnips could be kept in the ground to be harvested in the Spring. I also like to add a handful of barley _ala chez_ Campbells. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/29 "2010-10-13T15:48:23Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > Whatever I have available, unless I don’t have onions, then I don’t even start. Yeah, onions are essential. For everything else, the question is what HAVEN’T I put in vegetable beef soup. I am happiest when I can have onion, celery, carrot, and potatoes to start with. I almost always have a bag of frozen mixed vegetables in the freezer, and usually some of that goes in the soup. A small turnip is good, as is about a quarter of a head of cabbage. I like brown rice and barley, though usually not in the same soup. I almost never put tomatoes in the soup, although I do usually add a small can of V8 at the end. I keep those small cans around specifically for soup making. When I start a soup, I check the fridge and freezer for any little bits of veggies that need to be used up, and that does include corn and peas and green beans. I almost always end up with a pretty good soup. I will note that broccoli doesn’t seem to play well with other veggies in soup. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/30 "2010-10-13T15:50:38Z")
I don’t get all the hate for lima beans. I _looooves_ me some lima beans. Turnips and parsnips, OTHO, are not really food. Not sure exactly what they are. That bitter bottom note to the flavor, eeewww. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/31 "2010-10-13T15:57:23Z")
I’ve never had a parsnip, and I only really like turnips in soup, where their flavor adds to the mix. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/32 "2010-10-13T16:00:43Z")
My Russian mom used to drag out an enormous dented old tin pot every fall. She’d fill it halfway with water and simmer a meaty beef soupbone, covered, for an hour or two, then add a chopped onion, celery, carrot, a can of drained corn, a big can of tomatoes with juice, a bay leaf, parsley, a pinch of rosemary, salt and pepper, (I can’t remember if she put in potatoes! Being Russian, I would say, da.) Parsnips are wonderful, as is fennel. And near the end, thin sliced cabbage, which doesn’t need a lot of cooking. Simmer, covered, for an hour or two. Remove bone, take off any meat bits. It was SO good. (I’ve tried making it myself, but for all my tweaking and improvements, my soup was never as good as mom’s. Either it’s just nostalgia, or my tastebuds have dulled down over time.) ---
**Author:** ![Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tequila_Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/33 "2010-10-13T16:10:35Z")
I hate cooked celery, but soups just don’t taste right without it. I usually cut it into huge chunks that I can easily fish out before serving to take care of this. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/34 "2010-10-13T16:13:13Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Turnips and parsnips, OTHO, are not really food. Not sure exactly what they are. That bitter bottom note to the flavor, eeewww. If they’re bitter, you’ve got old vegetables. Properly stored parsnips, turnips, and rutabagas are wonderfully sweet and add a really nice dimension to soup. I also put ‘em in mashed potatoes, both for nutrition and taste. Nowadays I’m not at all interested in plain ol’ mashed potatoes, they seem bland and boring without a parsnip or rutabaga or two. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/35 "2010-10-13T17:20:46Z")
Lima beans are the devil’s turds. I usually stick with a mirapoix plus garlic (\*\*which nobody mentioned!!!)\*\*and maybe tomatoes for depth. Also potatoes for heft. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/36 "2010-10-13T17:25:47Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I don’t get all the hate for lima beans. I _looooves_ me some lima beans. I also like lima beans so I don’t get the hate either. However, they seem to rank below spinach and barely above Brussels sprouts on the “Unpopular Vegetable” list. I know I’m the only one in my family who likes lima beans. I don’t like onion and celery in vegetable beef soup but I usually just eat around them. [QUOTE=Tethered Kite] Yes, swedes! We folks of Norwegian ancestory out here on the prairie always included at least half a swede in our vegetable beef soup. They quiet down once they’ve been in the pot for a while. [/QUOTE] But they make the soup too bitter. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/37 "2010-10-13T18:15:49Z")
Adding another vote for turnip. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/38 "2010-10-13T18:19:58Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > I’ve never had a parsnip, and I only really like turnips in soup, where their flavor adds to the mix. Parsnips are kinda like yellow carrots. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/39 "2010-10-13T19:49:45Z")
I voted for the ones I consider essential, but really, any or all of those would be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/40 "2010-10-13T20:28:57Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > > [@kaylasdad99](#): > > > > Turnips and parsnips, OTHO, are not really food. Not sure exactly what they are. That bitter bottom note to the flavor, eeewww. > > If they’re bitter, you’ve got old vegetables. Properly stored parsnips, turnips, and rutabagas are wonderfully sweet and add a really nice dimension to soup. > > I also put ‘em in mashed potatoes, both for nutrition and taste. Nowadays I’m not at all interested in plain ol’ mashed potatoes, they seem bland and boring without a parsnip or rutabaga or two. My mother-in-law always mashed a rutabaga into her mashed potatoes for her husband who came from Holland. I’m unsure how to spell it but he called it something that sounds like boo-sco. Puts me in mind of how the Low Germans and Dutch were scorned by many other European groups because they ate root vegetables. And when the plague hit they had a superior survival rate due to the vitamins they had ingested during a time when, for those who could afford it, meat was the staple of diet. Also thinking about the recent craze in good restaurants for roasted root veggies which I’ve always considered pretty humble food. Those of you who don’t care for them, try adding a pinch of sugar to the boiling water or, yeah, get them from the grower. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928.md?page=3)