# 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:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![maladroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@maladroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maladroit)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/41 "2010-10-13T20:33:34Z")
Half the time I throw in some cabbage, but I always pretty much make up the recipe each time I make soup based on what’s availabe and my mood. ---
**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, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/42 "2010-10-13T20:50:35Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > > [@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. They look more cream or ivory than yellow to me. I’ve SEEN them in the market, I have just never had one. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/43 "2010-10-14T00:02:16Z")
Parsnips are sweet-ish and nutty, the carrot shape is the only thing like a carrot. The core is like a carrot’s, but is hard and fibrous, I usually cut it out if I’m serving parsnips as a vegetable. Oh, and you really need carrots/onions/celery. They’re ingredients. They make veg soup taste like veg soup. (but I always used big chunks so them’s that don’t like 'em can fish the pieces out of their soup bowls. They still flavor the soup, though.) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/44 "2010-10-14T04:36:09Z")
For those of us who are confused (or maybe it’s just me) what kind of vegetable is a swede? ---
**Author:** ![Grey\_Tama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@Grey\_Tama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey_Tama)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/45 "2010-10-14T04:53:04Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > For those of us who are confused (or maybe it’s just me) what kind of vegetable is a swede? Goes also by the name of rutabaga, and is very suitable for veggie soups. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutabaga](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutabaga) ---
**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 14, 2010, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/46 "2010-10-14T05:43:44Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > Parsnips are sweet-ish and nutty, the carrot shape is the only thing like a carrot. The core is like a carrot’s, but is hard and fibrous, I usually cut it out if I’m serving parsnips as a vegetable. > > Oh, and you really need carrots/onions/celery. They’re ingredients. They make veg soup taste like veg soup. (but I always used big chunks so them’s that don’t like 'em can fish the pieces out of their soup bowls. They still flavor the soup, though.) If I don’t have onions and celery, at least, I usually won’t even bother making a soup. I’m not terribly fond of cooked celery, but soup isn’t soup without the celery. I do like raw celery. I’ll run out and get carrots if I’m out of them, and I want to make soup. After the Big Three, I want potatoes, turnips, cabbage, and green beans. I also like to make Bisquick dumplings for beef and chicken soup, and I usually add some dried parsley and chives to the batter. I think it improves the taste and appearance. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/47 "2010-10-14T16:42:28Z")
I voted for all of them. For the corn, green beans and lima beans - and peas!, I just use a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. All the rest is fresh, or leftover. Sometimes I save bits of leftover veggies and freeze them, and throw them in a soup. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/48 "2010-10-14T17:43:03Z")
This might belong in a different thread, but I always try to include the following vegetables in chili: onions garlic peppers (variety – usually 4 poblanos, 8 Anaheims, 4 jalapenos) carrots celery corn beans (variety – usually a mix of kidney, pinto, and black beans) tomatoes (canned) Is there anything you would add? To purists, I realize, everything on that list is abomination save the onions, garlic and peppers. A traditional bowl of Texas Red has not even tomatoes (getting its color from paprika) – if it does have tomatoes, then it’s Oklahoma Red. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/49 "2010-10-15T03:32:52Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > > [@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? Well, I was sort of thinking of developing (flavor) caramelization in the oxtails and root veg for a braise or soup. But when I refer to soup here, I am really thinking of a "soup " that is more substantial and hearty, and less “soupy” , in the classical sense- more like a Osso Bucco, maybe. Maybe a couple of pounds of chopped oxtails and a variety of coarsely chopped, reserved, rootveg and mirepoix, tossed/coated with a dressing of honey, lemon juice, Olive Oil, fresh thyme, salt and pepper and a touch of water. Roast them at 375 till they all get a nice browning. Remove the oxtails to the soup pot, adding some “fresh” reserved root veg, push the roasted root veg, drippings, and mirepoix through a fine chinoise into the soup. Barely cover with some good Beef stock and simmer till the oxtails are truly tender and the root veg has mellowed, finish the soup with a squeeze of lemon juice and some grated or dried orange zest and parsley. Just kind of layering flavors. Rustic and simple, if not classical- Nothing more than developing veg and bones for stock. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/50 "2010-10-15T06:56:07Z")
Thanks to this thread, my desire to make a pot of stew became irrestible. Now I’ll be eating lamb stew through the weekend. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/51 "2010-10-15T12:48:45Z")
I checked everything. I can think of only a few veggies that I’d not put in vegetable beef soup. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/52 "2010-10-15T12:55:54Z")
I use all of the above, plus cabbage. And occasionally mushrooms and barley. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928/53 "2010-10-19T22:33:39Z")
I left out onions - I do use them to make the stock but those onions get thrown away and I don’t re-add (as opposed to carrots, which _do_ get re-added). Cabbage also, of course. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-vegetables-belong-in-a-vegetable-beef-soup/556928.md?page=2)