I'm a little late to the party [again] this week, having been away for Passover and Easter, but it was a cool day on Monday, and with my projects at hand, I needed a comfort food fix - Kathy's recipe from The New German Cookbook really was perfect. Although I have not spent the time she has in and around Munich and Salzburg, I could almost envision this pot of soup simmering on a kitchen stove there. And it's relatively easy to prepare, with relatively few ingredients.
To start:
Ingredients
2 lbs, boneless beef chuck, cut into bite size cubes
3 Tablespoons butter
2 medium-size yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 large garlic clove, peeled and chopped
2 Tablespoons Hungarian sweet rose paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 cups cold water
2 cups rich beef broth (homemade or canned)
2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size cubes
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Variations - you could add small strips of green pepper and/or a can of tomatoes. To make it spicier, add some red pepper flakes. {note: I only added the red pepper flakes this time}.
This recipe makes 6-8 servings. It is better made the day before and reheated ( skim off fat from the top before re-heating).
Brown the beef in 2 Tablespoons of the butter in a large heavy skillet over high heat. Transfer the beef to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
Add the rest of the butter to the kettle, then the onions (and green peppers if using), and saute for about 5 minutes, adding the garlic near the end.
Return the beef to the kettle, add the paprika and thyme, and cook together over moderate heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Add the water and the broth {since I had a 4 cup box of broth, I used a ratio of 4 cups broth to 2 cups water}, bring to a boil, adjust the heat to simmer and cook 45 minutes.
Add the potatoes.
Re-cover and simmer 45 minutes longer, until beef and potatoes are tender. Stir in the tomato paste, salt and pepper, heat through, and adjust the seasoning if needed.
We had this for supper, with bread and cheese - did not need anything else after a long weekend of dining in and out.
And now we move onto the last week of Sunday Slow Soupers - Ida's cream of artichoke, which looks pretty easy, and a nice welcome to spring, as we transition to salads.
