Beef Vegetable Soup With Polenta
- Ready In:
- 2hrs 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 15
- Yields:
-
3 Quarts
- Serves:
- 10-12
ingredients
-
FOR THE POLENTA
- 1 cup cornmeal, stone-ground
- 3 cups cold water
-
FOR THE SOUP
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 3⁄4 lbs meaty shin beef, center cut with bone, trimmed of any fat
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
- 2 cups plum tomatoes, diced fresh
- 2 stalks celery, washed and quartered
- 16 baby carrots
- 2 1⁄2 tablespoons fine sea salt
- grinding coarse black pepper
- 12 whole cloves, tied in a small piece cheesecloth
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- 10 cups hot water
directions
- In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and brown the beef shin slowly on all sides.
- Add the onion, tomatoes, celery, carrots, salt, pepper, cloves, bay leaf, oregano, basil, and the water.
- Stir the ingredients with a wooden spoon and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the soup, covered, for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, or until the beef shin is tender when pierced with a knife.
- With a slotted spoon remove the beef bones, carrots, and celery and place on a cutting board.
- Remove the cloves and discard.
- Pour the remaining liquid and ingredients through a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Press on the solids to extract the juices, then discard the solids.
- Pour the liquid into a large bowl and set aside.
- Trim the meat from the bones and shred it into small pieces. Add the meat to the liquid in the bowl.
- Cut the carrots and celery into thin slices and add them to the bowl.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (you can omit this step and skim the fat while warm if you prefer).
- When ready to use, remove the plastic wrap; scoop off the fat that has congealed at the top of the bowl and discard it.
- Pour the soup back into a soup pot and heat on low until hot.
- Place a slice of polenta in each individual soup bowl.
- Ladle the soup over the polenta and serve immediately.
- Refrigerate the remaining soup for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- To make the polenta, pour the cornmeal into a 1 1/2-quart saucepan and stir in the water with a wooden spoon.
- Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the cornmeal starts to thicken and leave the sides of the pan.
- Cook for about 15 minutes, always stirring in one direction to keep the mixture smooth.
- Pour the polenta out onto a cutting board, spread it evenly, and let cool. Cut the polenta into 8 pieces, cover with a piece of wax paper, set aside, and keep warm.
- Tip: You can make the polenta ahead of time. Cool, cover, and refrigerate it. When needed, cut it into pieces and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until hot in a preheated 350ºF oven.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Cook4_6
United States
I am originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota and moved to Ohio in 1978. It was quite a culture shock going from the city to living next to the Amish. I spend most of my time cooking, cleaning and caring for my four kids. I have abandoned cookbooks and now cook from favorite, wilted recipe pages and the internet. I fell in love with my Italian family recipes (Scavo, Rotella, Scalzo, Micelli, Grande, Gigliotti) and my Mom's homecooked meals.