Steak Soup (Vegetable Beef Soup) -- The Pot That Made the Porch Feel Like Enough

Labor Day weekend has a different weight in a ranching family than it probably does in other kinds of families. It's less about rest and more about taking stock — what got done this summer, what didn't, what the winter is likely to look like based on the hay in the barn and the cattle in the pasture and the state of the equipment. Dad and I walked the fences Saturday, which is a thing we do at the end of summer, making note of anything that needs repair before the ground freezes.

He's slowing down. I've been aware of it for a while, but walking behind him through the east pasture I watched it more closely than usual. The pace is a little different. He stops to rest more than he used to, and frames it as looking at something — the cattle, the sky, the post that needs a new staple — but it's rest. He's sixty-seven. He's worked hard for sixty-seven years. I don't say anything about it because I know he doesn't want it said.

I've been thinking about the pattern with Jen and with Sarah. Two women, both of them intelligent and decent and patient for longer than I deserved. Both of them reaching the same conclusion in the same way — not with anger, with sadness. That says something about the pattern and I'm not sure yet what it tells me to do differently. Father Brannigan would say the answer involves trusting something beyond yourself. Maybe he's right. I'm not sure I know how to do that either.

Made a big pot of lamb stew for the long weekend — neck bones from the freezer, root vegetables, thyme, bay leaf, a quart of beef stock I'd made and frozen in January. The kind of stew that fills the house with smell for most of a day. Mom and Dad and I ate it Sunday evening on the porch, which we don't do much past August because the evenings get cold. It was cold that night. We wore jackets. We ate without talking much. That was enough.

That pot of stew on Labor Day Sunday is the meal I keep coming back to in my head — not because it was complicated, but because it wasn’t. When I want to make something like it again without waiting for neck bones to thaw, this Steak Soup is the version I reach for: beef, root vegetables, a good stock, and time. It’s the same idea, the same warmth, the same kind of food that makes a cold porch feel like the exact right place to be.

Steak Soup (Vegetable Beef Soup)

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs beef sirloin or chuck steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 medium carrots, sliced into rounds
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup frozen or fresh green beans, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 6 cups beef broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, for serving

Instructions

1. Brown the beef. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Season beef cubes with salt and pepper. Working in batches, sear the beef on all sides until well browned, about 3—4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
2. Sauté the aromatics. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion and celery to the same pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
3. Build the base. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, letting it caramelize slightly. Pour in the beef broth and diced tomatoes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
4. Add beef and seasonings. Return the browned beef to the pot along with the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
5. Add the vegetables. Stir in the carrots, potatoes, and green beans. Cover and continue simmering for another 30—35 minutes, until the potatoes and carrots are fork-tender and the beef is fully cooked through.
6. Finish and serve. Remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and top with fresh parsley.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 340 | Protein: 31g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 28g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 890mg