Vegetable-Beef Soup
- 14-ounce piece lean salt pork or 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
- 3 marrow bones
- 1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat (rump or shoulder), cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
- 2 small parsnips, peeled and sliced
- 2 cups fresh or frozen baby lima beans
- 1 cup fresh or frozen green beans
- 2 cups fresh or frozen okra, sliced thin
- 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
- Generous pinch sugar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Heat a heavy 6-quart pot over medium heat.
- Add the salt pork and saute until golden.
- Remove it and set aside.
- Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings.
- Increase the heat to medium-high (add vegetable oil, if using).
- In batches, brown the marrow bones and stew meat.
- Add 3 quarts of water and the salt pork.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 2 hours, skimming off any foam.
- Add the tomatoes, carrots, onions, celery and parsnips; return to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes.
- Add the lima beans and green beans.
- Cover and simmer for another 30 minutes.
- Add the okra and simmer 20 minutes.
- Remove marrow bones and salt pork.
- Add the corn and peas and cook for about 10 more minutes, until cooked through.
- Skim off the fat from the surface and discard.
- Taste the broth and add sugar, salt and pepper as needed.
- The soup is ready but improves with age.
- If not serving immediately, refrigerate after it cools.
- Before reheating, skim off any congealed fat.
- If it is too thick, thin with a bit of water.
lean salt, bones, beef stew meat, tomatoes, carrots, onions, celery, parsnips, beans, frozen okra, corn, generous, salt
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1733 (may not work)