Hearty and heartwarming, this is a soup you will make all winter long. Simple ingredients, but with rich flavours. Serve with crusty bread and sour cream, this soup even freezes great!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 6
Ingredients
2 tbsp canola oil
2 lb beef sirloin, cubed into bite sized pieces
2 medium onions, sliced into lengths
4-5 large cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp caraway seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle
1/2 tsp ground marjoram
1/8 tsp hot paprika or cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
2 tbsp flour
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup red wine
5 cups beef stock, plus more if needed or desired
2-3 tsp Maggi or Worcestershire sauce, taste before adding it all, see Notes
4 medium carrots, cut into bite sized rounds
(Also add some potatoes if desired)
1 tbsp fresh chopped thyme
Chopped fresh parsley or thyme for garnish optional
Sour cream for serving
Instructions
In a 5 quart Dutch oven or pot with a lid, heat the oil on medium-high heat.
Pat the beef with paper towel before adding it to the pot. Sear on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. If you find that a lot of excess liquid is being released, use a large serving spoon to remove it to a bowl. This can be added back in with the stock. Removing the liquid now will help the beef get a lovely exterior. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper.
Add the onions and sauté until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. If the heat is too high and the onions are scorching, drop to medium heat.
Add the minced garlic, bay leaves, sweet paprika, dried thyme, caraway seeds, marjoram, and hot paprika. Sauté 1 to 2 minutes, to get everything melded and fragrant.
Sprinkle the flour over everything and stir to coat it all well. Let it continue cooking for one minute to remove the raw flour flavor.
Add the tomato paste and stir through.
Add the red wine and deglaze the pot. Let it cook through for about two minutes, stirring if needed.
Pour in the beef stock and Maggi or Worcestershire. Bring up to a boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook until beef is almost tender (about 40 minutes), stirring occasionally.
Add the carrots (and potatoes), partially cover, and continue simmering for 30-40 minutes. If you want to add more stock feel free to do so here, just warm through and re-season as desired. Once the carrots are tender the soup is ready to serve.
Taste and season with additional salt and black pepper as desired.
Stir through the fresh thyme into the soup.
Garnish the finished soup with freshly chopped parsley.
Serve the soup with a dollop with sour cream if desired.
Serve over noodles, gnocci, spatzle, or mashed potatoes if you wish.
