Hearty Vegetable and Salted Herb Soup
Discover comfort in a bowl with this rich and flavorful hearty vegetable soup, featuring the famous Bas-du-Fleuve Salted Herbs. Perfect for cool evenings, this soup is a harmonious blend of seasonal vegetables, nutritious grains, and aromatics, promising to warm not only the body but also the soul. Adding the salted herbs at the end of cooking enhances this dish with their unique flavors, preserving their full aroma and freshness.
Preparation
20 min.
Total Cooking Time
1h10
Servings
8
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- Olive oil
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 3 medium carrots, cubed
- 1 turnip, diced
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 can (796 ml) diced tomatoes
- 10 cups homemade beef broth (or other, as preferred)
- 1 cup soup mix (containing lentils, split peas, rice, pearl barley)
- 1 tbsp Bas-du-Fleuve Salted Herbs
- Pepper to taste
Preparation
1. Prepare the vegetables: In a large pot, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent.
2. Add vegetables and aromatics: Stir in the celery, carrots, and turnip. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften. Sprinkle with dried oregano and thyme, and mix well.
3. Cook with broth: Pour the diced tomatoes and beef broth into the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
4. Add soup mix: Incorporate the soup mix into the pot. Cook covered over low heat for about 1 hour, or until the grains and vegetables are tender.
5. Final touches: Once the soup is almost ready, add the Bas-du-Fleuve Salted Herbs and pepper to taste. Stir well and continue cooking for a few more minutes for the flavors to blend harmoniously.
6. Serve: Check seasoning and adjust to your taste. Serve the soup hot for a comforting and nourishing meal.
Making your own homemade beef broth
Making broth with beef soup bones is an excellent way to create a rich and flavorful base for your soups, stews, and other dishes. Here’s the best way to prepare it:
1. Bone preparation: If possible, use beef bones with a little meat on them for a richer broth. You can ask your butcher for marrow bones, knuckle bones, and meat scraps, which are perfect for broth.
2. Roasting the bones: For a richer-tasting broth, start by roasting the bones. Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F) and place the bones in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast them for about 20 to 30 minutes, until nicely browned. This process helps develop a depth of flavor through the Maillard reaction.
3. Cleaning the bones: After roasting, place the bones in a large pot. Cover them with cold water and bring to a boil. As soon as the water starts to boil, impurities will begin to rise to the surface. Skim these impurities carefully and reduce the heat to simmer.
4. Adding aromatics: To enrich the broth, add vegetables and aromatics. Carrots, onions, celery, crushed garlic cloves, bay leaves, sprigs of thyme, parsley, black peppercorns, and possibly a small amount of vinegar (which helps extract minerals from the bones) are popular choices. Do not add too much salt at the beginning; you can always adjust the seasoning once the broth is finished.
5. Long cooking: Let your broth simmer over very low heat for 6 to 24 hours. The cooking time depends on the quantity of bones and the desired concentration of the broth. The longer you simmer, the richer and more gelatinous the broth will be.
6. Straining: After cooking, strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve or a cheesecloth-lined colander to remove all solids. This process ensures a clear broth.
7. Degreasing: Once the broth is strained, let it cool. The fat will rise to the surface and solidify, making it easy to remove.
8. Storage: The broth can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days or frozen for later use. To freeze it, you can pour it into ice cube trays or containers to facilitate portioning.
By following these steps, you will get a rich and flavorful beef broth, perfect as a base for many dishes.
