Soup is delicious any time of the year, but truthfully, when the weather is a little cooler, and the leaves are blasting with all kinds of beautiful fall colors, that is when these spoon-dippers taste their best. Imagine spending an afternoon at the pumpkin patch, your nose is just about to get cold and rosy, and then you come home to a piping hot bowl of Autumn Beef Soup. The steaming, salty broth will warm you right up. The tender veggies, hearty beef, and crispy bacon will make sure you’re feeling friendly and full, which will create a coziness only the best kinds of comfort food can bring. It doesn’t get much better than this. Even Autumn Beef Stew is named after the season it tastes the best in… that must mean something delicious, right?
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, cracked
- 2 pounds beef chuck, boneless, trimmed of excess fat, and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 2 strips bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
- canola oil, to taste
- 2 medium onions, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled, and smashed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon snipped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 pound potatoes, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 pound butternut squash; peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 4 carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 stalks celery, sliced into 1/2-inch chunks
- 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Directions
Step 1 –In a large resealable plastic bag, add the flour, the salt, the pepper, and the beef.
Step 2 –Shake the bag to evenly coat the beef.
Step 3 –In a Dutch over or large heavy pot over medium-high heat, cook, while stirring, the bacon until crisp, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 4 –Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon.
Step 5 –Add the oil to the bacon drippings so that the liquid in the Dutch oven is around 2 tablespoons deep.
Step 6 –In batches, add the coated beef to the hot oil, shaking off any of the excess flour before adding.
Step 7 –Cook the beef, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 145 degrees F internally, about 4-5 minutes.
Step 8 –Transfer the cooked beef to a plate.
Step 9 –If needed, add more of the oil to the Dutch oven.
Step 10 –Add the onions and cook, while stirring, until they start to brown, about 4 minutes.
Step 11 –Stir the garlic into the browned onions and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 12 –Stir the tomato paste into the onion mixture.
Step 13 –Return the beef, the bacon, and any of the remaining flour mixture to the onion mixture. Stir to combine.
Step 14 –Add the chicken broth, the beef broth, the wine, the bay leaves, the thyme, and the paprika to the beef mixture.
Step 15 –Bring the broth mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat.
Step 16 –Allow the soup to simmer, covered, until the meat is tender, occasionally stirring, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Step 17 –Add the potatoes, the squash, the carrots, and the celery to the soup.
Step 18 –Bring the mixture to a boil again, then reduce the heat.
Step 19 –Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 20 –Remove the lid and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the liquid has reached your desired consistency, about 15 minutes.
Step 21 –Discard the bay leaves and stir in the parsley.
Step 22 –Serve.