A hearty and satisfying beef vegetable soup with the unmistakable flavor of sweet Trahana – a fine grain pasta made from semolina and milk. If you can’t find Trahana at your ethnic grocer’s you can substitute another fine grain pasta like Acini de Pepe.
Beef Vegetable Soup – Kreatosoupa me Trahana
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Yield: 8 hearty servings
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. beef chuck roast, trimmed of fat and cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 8 oz. mushrooms, coarsely chopped (I use baby portabellas)
- 2 large carrots, peeled, quartered and chopped
- 2 stalks celery, quartered and chopped
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 6 cups water
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1/2 cup uncooked Trahana (Acini di Pepe)
- 3 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation:
Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels then season with salt and pepper. In a large dutch oven or soup pot, brown the beef over high heat until nicely browned. You may need to add the beef in two batches so that the cubes are not too crowded in the bottom of the pan.
Remove the beef to a platter and add 1/4 cup olive oil to pot. Over medium high heat, saute the onions, mushrooms, carrots, and celery until tender 5 -10 minutes. Add the wine and stir well, making sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Return the beef to the pot, add the water and beef broth and bring the liquid to a boil. Once boiling, add the Trahana and stir. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally to be sure the grains do not stick to the bottom of the pot.
Dissolve the tomato paste in a few tablespoons of water and add to the pot. Stir in the chopped parsley and adjust the salt and pepper seasoning to taste.
