mattersoftaste.com.au

Beef, Port and Field Mushroom Soup

method

1. Trim steak, discard fat. Cut meat into 1cm chunks, season well with salt and pepper.
2. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat.
3. Fry steak in 2 batches for a minute or so, until browned and sealed. It must not be cooked through at this stage. Remove beef from pan and set aside in covered bowl. Remove pan from heat.
4. Prepare vegetables. Peel onions, cut in half then into thin slices with the grain (Lyonnaise).
5. Peel carrots and cut into ½cm slices.
6. Cut large mushrooms in half, then slice caps and stalks.
7. Crush garlic.
8. Re-heat beef saucepan. Add a further 1½ tablespoons olive oil and fry onions over medium heat, until lightly browned.
9. Add carrots and cook for a further 2 minutes.
10. Stir in mushrooms with butter and garlic and season vegetables with salt. Turn heat down and cook for a few minutes, until mushrooms have just started to wilt.
11. Sprinkle flour into pan and stir to cook for a minute or so.
12. Pour in port, allow to sizzle then stir well.
13. Add stock in small amounts to begin with. Stir constantly and increasing quantity added as soup becomes more liquid. Bring to a simmer after each addition of liquid, to reduce any lumps.
14. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into 1cm dice. Add to soup and simmer for 5 minutes.
15. Return steak to soup along with any juices, continue to simmer for a further 2 minutes, until potatoes are softened.
16. Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.
17. Stir through half parsley and serve with remaining sprinkled over soup.

cooks notes

• Rump gives this soup a wonderful flavour and is quick  cooking.
• Add other vegetables such as sweet potato, celery and green beans if liked.
• Serve with crusty bread for dunking, it just crys out for it!
• Soup can be made well in advance and re-heated when needed; the flavours improve with age.
• If port not available use red wine or add a couple of teaspoons balsamic vinegar just before serving. This will change the flavour but will be a good alternative which will cut through the richness.
• This soup can be frozen.
• Thicken soup with cornflour to make it a gluten free dish.
• The combination of tasty rump steak, good quality beef stock (such as Moredough Kitchens) and quality port give this soup a very g feel as well as being substantial enough to serve as a mid-week main course if liked.