Chef John Vegetable Beef Soup Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add pancetta; cook and stir until it begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in onions and celery; cook and stir until onions start to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for another minute.
• Pour chicken broth, water, and plum tomatoes into the pancetta and onion mixture. Bring to a simmer.
• Stir cranberry beans, cabbage, garbanzo beans, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and 2 teaspoons salt into broth mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook until cranberry beans are tender, adding more water as needed if the soup becomes too thick, about 45 minutes.
• Stir in Swiss chard and simmer until softened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
• Stir in pasta and increase heat to medium-high and simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with extra virgin olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and Italian parsley.

CHEF JOHN'S BEEF AND BARLEY STEW

Steps:

• Season beef all over with kosher salt and black pepper.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over high heat. Cook beef in hot oil until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer beef to a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium, and stir onion into the same pot with a pinch of salt. Cook and stir until onion is soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir garlic into onion; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir tomato paste into onion mixture; cook and stir until tomato paste is brick red, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour broth into onion mixture. Add celery, carrots, bay leaf, and rosemary. Return beef with any accumulated juices to pot; push beef down to cover with cooking liquid.
• Bring broth mixture to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and cook until beef is fork-tender, 2 to 3 hours. Transfer beef to a bowl.
• Pour barley into cooking liquid, bring to a simmer, and cook until barley is tender, about 45 minutes. Return beef to pot, cover the pot, and cook until heated through, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Ladle stew into bowls and garnish with parsley and horseradish.

CHEF JOHN'S HOT AND SOUR SOUP

Steps:

• Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water, stirring occasionally, until soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well and slice into thin strips.
• Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, ground white pepper, and sesame oil together in a small bowl for hot and sour mixture; set aside until needed.
• Whisk cornstarch and water together in another small bowl for slurry; set aside until needed.
• Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ginger, sliced green onions, and shiitake mushrooms. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and bring up to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Stir in carrot, red pepper, bamboo shoots, tofu, and the hot and sour mixture. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
• Raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Stir the soup slowly with a spoon while transferring in the beaten eggs in a steady stream to create thin ribbons. Keep stirring until the soup comes back to a boil. Reduce heat to medium.
• Stir the cornstarch slurry to make sure it's well blended, then slowly drizzle it into the soup while stirring constantly. Soup should thicken up within 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat, taste for seasoning, and serve.

BEEF AND BEET BORSCHT

Steps:

• Cook beef shank in a large soup pot over high heat until browned, about 3 minutes per side; add water, onion, carrots, celery, and bay leaf to the pot, bring to a simmer and cook until meat is tender and falling off the bone, about 4 hours. Strain broth and discard solids.
• Combine beef broth, beets, and cabbage in a large soup pot; cook, stirring occasionally, until beets are tender, about 30 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add vinegar, salt, and black pepper.
• Serve garnished with sour cream and dill.