Thursday 21 October 2010

Beefy Bean and Tomato Soup

Earlier in the week, I looked at the lifecycle of a roasted beef topside and how to eke out the leftovers.  After a mammoth Cottage Pie, yesterday I made a huge pot of this soup.  It is a bit of a storecupboard standby as it uses tinned items too, but I think good tinned tomatoes and pulses are essential!  Anyway, I sweated a couple of good sized onions (use leeks instead if you have them) in a little olive oil, with a couple of diced carrots and couple of sticks of celery.  After a few minutes, I tipped in a tin of chopped tomatoes, a tin of borlotti beans and a tin of green lentils - the pulses having been drained and rinsed.   Then, a litre and a half of beef stock (go ahead, use good old Oxo for this) along with two potatoes, peeled and chopped fine, and a couple of handfuls of frozen peas.  Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for an hour, stirring occasionally.  The potatoes break up and thicken the soup deliciously.  A few minutes before serving, chop up your remaining beef, removing any fat, gristle etc, into small chunks and add to the soup.  You can also add some finely shredded cabbage if liked - which we do.  Allow to heat through thoroughly, add some fresh parsley and dish up in big steaming bowls.  With crusty bread and some cheese, this is my idea of heaven on a cold night.

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