Old-Fashioned Beef and Vegetable Soup
SERVES: 8
PRESSURE LEVEL: HIGH
RELEASE: NATURAL
TOTAL TIME: ABOUT 1¼ HOURS
TIME UNDER PRESSURE: 15 MINUTES
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Beef and vegetable soup is a classic winter warmer-upper that typically requires a long simmer to tenderize a tough cut. We swapped in boneless beef short ribs for our usual chuck roast. Rich and well marbled, but without the intramuscular fat that has to be trimmed from a chuck roast, the short ribs were easy to cut up and could be perfectly cooked in 15 minutes. First, we browned all of the meat to maximize the beefy flavor, then we set it aside to sauté the onion, mushrooms, and thyme. Deglazing the pot with wine picked up the flavorful browned bits, while potatoes, carrots, and celery made our soup hearty. Look for boneless short ribs that are well marbled and measure about 2 inches wide and 1 inch thick. See the step shot and Troubleshooting that follows the recipe.
INGREDIENTS
|
1 |
pound boneless beef short ribs, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces |
|
Salt and pepper |
|
|
2 |
tablespoons vegetable oil |
|
8 |
ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced ½ inch thick |
|
1 |
onion, chopped fine |
|
2 |
tablespoons tomato paste |
|
2 |
teaspoons minced fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried |
|
1 |
garlic clove, minced |
|
2 |
tablespoons all-purpose flour |
|
¼ |
cup dry red wine |
|
6 |
cups beef broth |
|
1 |
pound red potatoes, cut into ¾-inch pieces |
|
3 |
carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces |
|
2 |
celery ribs, cut into ½-inch pieces |
|
2 |
bay leaves |
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2 |
tablespoons minced fresh parsley |
1. BUILD FLAVOR: Pat beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in pressure-cooker pot over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of meat on all sides, about 5 minutes; transfer to bowl. Repeat with 2 teaspoons oil and remaining beef.
2. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in now-empty pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, thyme, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in wine, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps, and cook until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, potatoes, carrots, celery, bay leaves, and beef with any accumulated juices.
3. HIGH PRESSURE FOR 15 MINUTES: Lock pressure-cooker lid in place and bring to high pressure over medium-high heat. As soon as pot reaches high pressure, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to maintain high pressure.
4. NATURALLY RELEASE PRESSURE: Remove pot from heat and allow pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure, then carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
5. BEFORE SERVING: Remove bay leaves. Using large spoon, skim excess fat from surface of soup. Stir in parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
VARIATION
Old-Fashioned Beef and Barley Soup
Omit potatoes. After removing bay leaves in step 5, stir in ½ cup pearl barley and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes, then continue as directed.