Meat Soup Recipe: Beef Rib Broth with Garlic and Hot Pepper

Meat Soup Recipe: Beef Rib Broth with Garlic and Hot Pepper

When I was a kid, my grandmother and mom would make soup for lunch and just say “meat soup”, with rice or vermicelli added. Or chicken soup, again with rice or some other grain. I have to admit that when I heard “meat soup” I always subconsciously expected a soup made of meat and broth. Everything else in it seemed out of place and unnecessary.

As it turned out later, a meat soup made of nothing but meat does exist. Moreover, there are plenty of such soups; not every soup has to be a solyanka with everything thrown in. A soup of meat could be called a broth, which is correct, but to me broth is a stock, while in a soup the liquid can be less than half. So I always think of even the simplest broth with plenty of what it was cooked from as a soup. Though, as a rule, even a boiled vegetable broth with pureed vegetables is already a vegetable cream soup.

French clarified broth, or a very rich, salted broth served with a pie, is consommé, made from chicken or beef. Today consommé is made from other ingredients too. In my childhood, sick relatives were given broth or chicken noodle soup, and it helped, both healing and restoring strength.

Soup can be made from different kinds of meat, and not necessarily from prime cuts. In Europe soups are often made from offal and tripe, or on a bone broth. Chinese bone broth soup is almost white, spicy and aromatic, and anyone who has tried it knows how good it is! In Bulgaria they make a unique and incredibly tasty soup from beef tripe, shkembe chorba. Soup from beef stomach exists in many cuisines, as does a simple beef soup.

To make an excellent meat soup, you need to cook a perfect meat broth from the meat you choose. Don't rush when making soup: a broth cooks slowly and for a long time. A rich broth takes time!

To improve the flavor, it is better to cook meat soup with soup vegetables, which can then be thrown away or, if you like, put into the finished soup before serving. A good thing about a simple rich meat soup is that it is cooked almost without spices, and right before the meal everyone adds spices and seasonings to their own bowl to taste. In Bulgaria, for example, shkembe chorba is served with grated garlic in vinegar and a mix of spices based on coarsely ground dried hot pepper.

Meat soup

More with beef

Bean Soup with Beef Ribs BrothHearty homemade bean soup with meat: a rich beef rib broth, tender beans and a potato puree for body. Step-by-step recipe with photos.Kharcho soupIt is not difficult to prepare kharcho soup at home. It is important only to use the right foods and monitor the process.Ukrainian Borscht: Best the Day After!Traditional Ukrainian borscht on a rich pork and beef broth with beets, beans, cabbage and tomato. Serve the day after with sour cream and garlic buns.Traditional Rassolnik: Beef Broth Soup with Pearl Barley and PicklesTraditional rassolnik on beef broth with pearl barley, fermented pickles and pickle brine. A tangy, hearty soup, step-by-step recipe with photos.Megrelian Kharcho: Traditional Veal Rib and Rice SoupMegrelian kharcho: a Georgian soup of veal ribs or brisket with rice, tkemali, lots of herbs and a walnut and garlic dressing. Step-by-step recipe with photos.

Ingredients

2 servings

  • Beef ribs 1 kg
  • Carrot 1
  • Hot pepper 1
  • Onion 1
  • Garlic 3-4 cloves
  • Vegetable oil 1 tbsp
  • Wine vinegar 1 tbsp
  • Salt, black pepper, dried hot pepper, dried sweet pepper, aromatic herbs to taste

Step-by-step recipe

  1. A good meat soup comes from not-too-young beef on the bone. Veal is certainly more tender and soft, but ordinary beef, simmered for a long time, gives a wonderful rich broth, ideal not only for a simple meat soup but also for borscht or Georgian kharcho soup. A very good broth comes from beef ribs or brisket, which have plenty of meat, and bones that give the broth body.

    Beef ribs.
  2. For two servings of meat soup you need about 4 cups of broth. Since some of the water boils away while the meat cooks, start with 1.5 l of water. Pour cold water into a pot. Wash the beef ribs and put them in the cold water. Peel the carrot and cut it lengthwise into four. Peel the onion and cut a cross in it. Put the vegetables into the water and bring to a boil.

    Putting the meat in cold water.
  3. The meat gives off a lot of foam as it cooks, and you need to skim it off with a spoon or slotted spoon. When the broth comes to a boil, reduce the heat to the point where it is still simmering. The broth must never boil hard, only a gentle simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and cook the broth for an hour.

    Skimming the foam.
  4. Take the vegetables out of the broth. Nobody usually eats the onion, so you can throw it away. The carrot can be added to the finished soup, and many people even like that. Just set it aside until the soup is fully cooked. Keep cooking the meat soup for another hour.

    Taking the vegetables out of the broth.
  5. Remove the seeds and white inner membranes from a hot pepper, or half a pepper, as you prefer. Chop the pepper finely with a knife and fry it in olive oil for 1 min.

    Frying the pepper.
  6. Take the cooked beef ribs out of the broth. Cut all the meat off the rib bones and cut it into large pieces. Throw the bones away and put the meat back into the broth. Salt the soup to taste and add the fried hot pepper. Cook the soup for another 10 mins, then take the pot off the heat.

    Adding the meat to the soup.
  7. Prepare the seasonings for the meat soup. Peel a few garlic cloves and grate them or chop finely with a knife. Put the garlic in a small cup or sauce bowl and add 1 tbsp natural grape vinegar. This is the first seasoning, and it gives the meat soup its character. Mix 0.5 tsp each of coarsely ground dried hot red pepper and dried aromatic herbs such as savory, dill, oregano and others. Add 1 tsp of flakes or coarsely ground dried sweet red pepper and, if you like, a little freshly ground black pepper. This is the second hot and aromatic seasoning.

    Seasonings for the soup.
  8. Divide the meat among bowls and pour in the meat broth. If you like, add the large pieces of carrot you set aside earlier. There will be roughly equal amounts of meat and broth in the bowls. Serve the soup right away, while it is very hot. Serve both seasoning mixes in separate dishes.

    Pouring the broth over the meat.
  9. At the table everyone adds the garlic and vinegar mix to their own bowl and peppers it with the aromatic, slightly hot mix of herbs and pepper. It is entirely a matter of personal taste. But meat soup should be hot and spicy enough to make your mouth burn. Be sure to serve a few slices of fresh bread.

    Meat soup
  10. Hot and spicy meat soup made on a rich beef rib broth fills you up, like all hearty soups, and warms you in cold weather. I think it's a very good idea to serve it with fresh offal doughnuts or pies filled with liver or egg and green onion.
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Recipe facts
Yield:2 servings
Calories:80 kcal per 100 g
Prep:30 mins
Cook:2 h
Total:2 h 30 mins
Cuisine:Bulgarian cuisine
More of my recipes:meat
Rating:
4.6
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