With winter ragging across most of the country, I posed this question on Facebook:

What is your favorite soup?

I received a nice variety of responses, which included some of my favorite soups like Broccoli Cheddar and Italian Wedding and others that I had yet to recreate at home.

Nick described his beloved Steak & Potato Soup as “meaty and full of potatoes, carrots and mushrooms. The broth is rich but not too thick.” I’m fairly certain what he described was available in a can and included the word Chunky on the label :) I can work with that and so chunky this soup would be. A fine balance between a soup and a stew.

Soup will generally contain meat or vegetables that are typically brought to a boil in water or broth and served with a generous ratio of broth to meat/vegetables. Whereas a Stew has less liquid, is typically simmered for a longer period and is served with more meat/vegetables and less broth.

For the ‘steak’ you can use your favorite cut. I prefer beginning with tender beef that has some nice marbling. This is the star of the show so why scrimp and use a tough cut of meat?! I used Yukon Gold for the potatoes because I like how they hold together yet are nice and creamy. Fresh thyme is a must and caramelized mushrooms go perfectly in this hearty soup.

I pan brown the steak and mushrooms in batches because a nice sear really helps to build flavor. Remove the beef and mushrooms and reserve them until nearer the end of cooking.

Add onions, carrots and fresh thyme to the same pan and sauté until almost tender. Dust the veggies with flour or arrowroot (for GF), then deglaze the pan with red wine and tomato paste to incorporate all those yummy brown bits from the seared steak, all the while building layers of flavor.

Next comes the cubed potatoes, bay leaves and a nice rich beef stock or bone broth. Simmer soup until potatoes are just fork tender, then return the seared steak and mushrooms to the pot and heat through. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves before serving.

Homemade Steak & Potato Soup got two thumbs up from my favorite taste-tester. This soup will satisfy your best eaters and is the perfect cold-weather blues buster!!

Making homemade soup reminds me of one of my favorite cooking quotes.

“Cooking is a caring and nurturing act. It’s kind of the ultimate gift for someone, to cook for them. It creates all this beautiful stuff, conversation, appreciation, romance. All the most important things in life you do around a dinner table.” ~ Curtis Stone.

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Wishing you a happy table. All my best, Libby

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Many years ago I went to Kansas City on a business trip.  I was invited to dinner with a dear friend at one of the wonderful Steakhouses in town.  I informed in advance that besides amazing steaks, this particular establishment was famous for their Steak Soup.

Side Note: If we ever go out to dinner together, you and I, be prepared that I most always have to order last.  I make my decision on what to order mostly based on what everyone else at the table has ordered.  I like to be sure as many dishes as possible have been covered.  Because I’m certain, when the time is right, my dining companions will offer me a bite.  My family affectionately calls this ‘Want a bite Lib?’

I’m also that girl that goes to Kansas City, is dining in a landmark Steakhouse, famous for their Steak Soup, and orders the Lobster Bisque.  On this particular occasion I made the right choice.  The steak soup was not at all what we expected and the lobster bisque stole the show.

Recipe inspiration:  This past Saturday evening we enjoyed a long overdue dinner with friends at their brand new home.  Great company, catching up, cooking together, and a wonderful meal…that began with Jalapeno Popper Dip.  I’ve discovered a new weakness.

By the time the perfectly cooked NY Strip steaks were presented…we were slowing down and savoring every bite.  Yes, we took home a doggy-bag.  The next day, I wasted no time turning the leftovers into a ‘what-steak-soup-is-supposed-to-taste-like’ Steak Soup.

Since we served this soup on Sunday, and Shelby was here to enjoy it (she had no interest in any of the other assorted dishes I offered up), I’ll call this a Sundays with Shelby post.  Then she delivered the most incredible 90-minute work-out-the-knots massage and it became an extra special Share the Love Sunday.

Print

Steak Soup

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 12 ounces NY Strip steak or favorite steak trimmed and diced
• 8 ounces button mushrooms sliced
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 celery ribs diced
• 2 carrots diced (omit for low-carb)
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbl. flour
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 cup red wine we used Mirassou Cabernet Sauvignon
• 1/2 cup cream

Instructions

• In a heavy bottom pot, sauté mushrooms in olive oil until lightly browned on both sides. Remove.
• In same pot, sauté onion, celery, carrots until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Remove.
• Add steak pieces and sauté over medium heat until browned, stirring constantly 2-3 minutes. Add Worcestershire and stir another minute. Dust in flour, thyme, salt & pepper; stir for another 2-3 minutes.
• Add beef broth, deglazing pan, followed by wine. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour, until steak is tender. Return sautéed veggies to soup and heat through.
• To serve, whisk in cream and heat through. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

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