Recipe of the Week: Vegetable Beef Soup With Spaetzle Dumplings
With season here and cold weather blanketing the north of the country, many of us will deal with a house filled with family and friends. Do not scramble to feed your visitors; prepare a large pot of hardy make-ahead beef soup. Easy to assemble, it is the perfect dinner answer, no matter how many guests are staying with you. Well, unless you want to make a restaurant reservation. Serves 12. (Chef tip: When making dumplings, the batter mixture should be soft and creamy. Drop it in boiling water in small batches, cook it for five minutes, remove it with a slotted spoon. Add the spaetzle dumpling right before serving the soup.)
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into very small 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 cups beef stock
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
2 cups onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, leaves only
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Dumplings:
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped
In a large heavy-bottomed stockpot, heat butter and olive oil on medium high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Brown in the stockpot, in batches, on all sides. Remove beef and set aside.
In the remaining fat, saute carrots, celery and onions over medium heat for seven to 10 minutes or until onions begin to brown slightly. Add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds. Add beef back into the pot, along with tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, thyme and bay leaf.
Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove lid and skim any fat from the top of the stock. Simmer for another 15 minutes until beef is tender. Season with salt and pepper and a sprinkle of parsley.
To prepare the dumplings, beat the eggs and buttermilk together in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and parsley. Slowly stir in the buttermilk mixture until the right consistency has been reached. Drop the dumplings in boiling water with the spaetzle maker and cook for five minutes. Remove and serve it with the soup.