Beef and wild rice soup with winter vegetables

Beef and Wild Rice Soup with Winter Vegetables

Serves 8

• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter or bacon fat
• 1 lb. boneless beef chuck, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/3-inch dice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup full-bodied red wine
• 8 cups homemade or lower- salt chicken broth
• 2 cups 1/2-inch-diced butter- nut squash (from a small squash, about 1 1/2 lb.)
• 1 cup 1/2-inch-diced medium purple turnip
• 1 cup wild rice, rinsed
• 2 Tbs. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf
• parsley

Thanks in part to its wild rice, this dish has a wonderful nutty, earthy fragrance. It simmers on the stove for up to an hour and serves eight, making it the perfect easy dinner for your family.

1. In a Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, melt the butter or bacon fat over medium-high heat. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper. Put the beef in the pan in a single layer; don’t stir for about 11/2 minutes. Then stir occasionally until the meat is well browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.
2. With a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the onion and garlic to the pot, and cook, stir- ring and scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally with a wooden spoon, until they’re softened, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and cook until the wine is reduced by about half, about 5 min- utes. Add the broth, squash, turnip, wild rice, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the beef and any accumulated juices, reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and sim- mer until the wild rice is soft and most of the grains have popped open and are tender, 40 to 60 minutes. (Check occasionally to be sure the soup isn’t simmering too quickly or too slowly; it should be a moderate simmer.) Discard the bay leaf. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste and serve garnished with the parsley.