(very general instructions; approx. amounts as we had no recipe)Part One
* 1 32-48oz. box beef broth or stock (lowest sodium possible)
* 2 T. olive oil (extra virgin olive oil is fine too)
* 1 medium red onion (yellow & white are ok too), diced
* 2-3 pounds beef (stew beef, round steak, sirloin tips, or similar), cut in cubes
* 3 cloves garlic, peeled & crushed with knife
* 1/2-1 cup red wine (merlot, burgundy, shiraz... whatever you have on hand)
...if no wine is around, use 1-2 T. vinegar (apple cider, red wine, or white vinegar)
* 2 bay leaves* 1 Tablespoons rosemary, dried (if fresh, use 3 times this amount)
* 1 teaspoon thyme, dried (if fresh, use approx. 2 times this amount)
* 1-2 teaspoons savory, dried (if fresh, use approx. 2 times this amount)
* 1 Tablespoons parsley, dried (if fresh, use 3 times this amount)
* 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
...or 1/4-1/2 teaspoon black ground pepper (fresh ground is best)
Put one box of beef broth in crockpot. Put on lid and heat on high while proceeding with recipe.
Heat oil in large skillet until a drop or two of oil sizzle in pan. Saute onion in pan until translucent & slightly browned. Add onion to crockpot.
If more oil is needed, add 1 more T. to same skillet, and heat until water droplet sizzles. Place beef cubes in bottom of pan so that one side of them lies flat. Allow that side to brown, turn cubes and allow opposite side to brown. If any cubes have unbrowned sides, turn them to unbrowned sides. Add to crockpot. (The goal is not to cook the cubes, but rather to sear the met to keep in the juices). Depending on the amount of cubes, you may need to do 2-3 round of cubes in the pan until all cubes are browned.
There is probably enough oil left in pan- if not add 1/2 T. Saute crushed garlic, be careful not to burn! (It burns easily and quickly, but this slight toast makes a nice difference in garlic's taste). Add to crockpot, stir.
Add wine (or vinegar), and herbs/spices (rosemary, thyme, parsley, black pepper). Stir. Cover. Turn crockpot down to low and let cook 6-8 hours or until fork tender/ falling apart. Avoid lifting crockpot lid as each time it's lifted, it increases cooking time.
Part Two: 6-8 hours later... * 1 32-48oz. box beef broth or stock (lowest sodium possible)
* 1 ... oz. can crushed tomatoes (lowest sodium possible)
- can be diced, sauce, peeled... any variety... try to keep sodium & excess water at a minimum)* 1 crockpot cooked beef (from Part One: above)
- if time allows, cool beef mixture on porch (or counter, then fridge); scrape fat from top of mixture to reduce fat intake.
* Root Veggies
- 1/2 -1 lb. carrots, cut in coins
- 4-6 ribs celery, cut in slices
- approx. 2 lbs red potatoes (white or yellow are ok too), wash & cubed with skins left on
- could add parsnips, turnips, or other root veggies if desired
* Other Veggies
- 8 oz. frozen peas
- 8 oz. frozen corn
- 8 oz. fresh green beans, ends removed and snapped in 1/2
- 8 oz. fresh sugar peas, ends removed and cut in 1/2
- 8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
- could also add frozen lima beans, canned beans, canned artichokes, finely chopped bell pepper, grape tomatoes, zucchini slices, shredded cabbage, frozen spinach (drained) or fresh spinach (sliced)
* Can also add pre-cooked pasta, rice, barley, noodles... if desired
In large stock pot, combine beef broth. Add root veggies (carrots, potatoes... and celery), and boil for about a half hour until veggies are fork tender.
Add meat & broth from crockpot; remove bay leaves if they were whole leaves. Add can of tomatoes. Bring back to boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
Add other veggies, simmer about 1 hour to combine flavors. If desired, add additional herbs during last 1/2 hour of cooking (suggestions include: thyme, rosemary, parsley, savory, tarragon, marjoram, a bit of oregano... choose a couple, not all!). Add more fresh ground black pepper, and salt to your taste.
Can top with some fresh grated parmesan, and a bit of fresh parsley.
Can serve in bowl with a bit of provolone or soft cheese lightly browned on top.
Serve with warm rolls, and/or a salad.
Leftover soup freezes well for future meals.
Suggestion freeze either in individual serving-size containers, or in family-size meal containers; pre-portioning before freezing saves time later and reduces amount of times soup is frozen and thawed.
