Beef, Carrot and Noodle Soup (also known in our family as Italian Soup)
This soup is made by simmering a large cut of meat with veggies and herbs. Then everything except the meat and carrots and celery is forced through a strainer resulting in a very rich broth. The broth is served with chunks of meat, veggies and egg noodles and it is all sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients (all approximate amounts):
A whole chuck roast
2 pounds large (no baby) carrots, peeled
6 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1 large onion roughly chopped
optional- soup bones or purchased bouillon for richness
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
a large handful of fresh thyme or a couple tablespoons of dried thyme
grated black pepper to taste - start with a teaspoon
water enough to fill pot
1 pound medium cut curly egg noodles
Parmesan cheese for topping
Cooking:
Place all the ingredients together in a large stock pot
Cover with as much water and/or bouillon as possible
Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook covered for an hour or so
test the veggies for fork tenderness and when done remove from soup and reserve for later
Continue cooking the remaining ingredients another hour or more until the meat is falling apart tender.
Remove the meat to a platter to cool a bit then remove all fat, sinews, and blood vessels
shred the meat into chunks, size can vary from a single bite to a single serving, your choice
Set the meat aside
Pass the rest of the ingredients through a strainer, ricer or food mill
Save the resulting broth and discard the mashed and dehydrated solids
Return the veggies and the shredded meat to the broth and keep warm
Cook the egg noodles in another pan in salted water
Serve by placing cooked egg noodles in a soup bowl and filling with broth, carrots, celery and meat as desired
Sprinkle with cheese and pepper to taste