Great-Grandmother’s Vegetable Beef Soup

With temperatures dropping below freezing, it is nice to have a recipe that not only keeps you warm, but is nutritious and appetizing as well. I recently was given a soup recipe which has been passed down from my great-grandmother, Schossie, who was a first generation American from Ireland.  Now, I know what you’re thinking; why would I publish an old family recipe? Well, I feel this soup is so good, it shouldn’t be kept a secret. Enjoy!

Ingredients

about 8 cups of water

1 large can diced/chopped tomatoes, you can add more to increase flavor

2 bay leaves

2 large beef marrow bones

2 lbs beef chuck roast, cubed

1 bundle of leeks, chopped

¼ head cabbage, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

4 carrots, chopped

2 large potatoes, cubed

salt and pepper to taste

Process

Fill a big soup pot a little more than half full of water, about 8 cups; you can use more or less depending on the desired consistency. Add the beef bones and the cubed stew meat. Bring to a boil and skim off the foam that accumulates.

Add the chopped tomatoes, with juice, and two bay leaves.  Simmer two hours.

Remove the beef bones. 

Add the onion, carrots, potatoes, leeks (throw away the tough green parts, just use the inner parts) and the cabbage.

Once the vegetables are added, cook another two hours, with the cover off the last hour so it boils down a bit. You could cook it all day, and it wouldn’t suffer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

It seems like cooking for four hours wouldn’t be much fun, but the process is easy. Most of the time you spend will be time spent waiting, a perfect opportunity to watch some of those programs on your DVR.

Taste Test

Depth is the best word I could use to describe this soup. The combination of all of the vegetables is fantastic, and the beef practically disintegrates in your mouth. The flavors of the beef and the beef bones merge with the tomatoes brilliantly, bringing the soup together.

The soup goes well with any crispy bread; I used Chicago Rolls and they were great. You can be creative with the veggies. If you hate cabbage, add some celery or green beans. My Mom has also used corn and rutabagas. It is really a matter of personal taste.

Leftover Quality

Like most tomato dishes, this soup could possibly be better the next day. The consistency is the same, but the flavors of the vegetables and beef were infused even deeper into the soup. My lunch was accompanied by another roll and it was fantastic.

From a lifetime of eating this soup, I know that it freezes very well. You can use half of it for consumption now and save the rest for the next snow day.

Overall Grade

This soup gets an A+. They don’t make soup like this commercially.