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Friday, January 3, 2014

Beef Vegetable Soup with Homemade Spaetzle

What did I do with all of that beef stock that I made last week after Christmas?  Well, half of it I split into two portions and froze for later in the year.  With the other half I made Beef Vegetable Soup with Homemade Spaetzle.

First, I put my beef stock in a eight quart dutch oven and brought to a boil.  While the stock was coming to temperature, I diced three stalks of celery, one sweet onion, and threw in one cup of carrot matchsticks that I had in the refrigerator.  I also cut one pound of stew meat into bite sized pieces.


Once the stock was boiling, season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the beef and cook for ten minutes.  Then add the vegetables to the stock, add the Spaetzle, and cook for five minutes.  On to the Spaetzle.

While all of this was going on, Hope made a batch of Spaetzle from my mothers recipe.  Here is the recipe and cooking directions:

Spaetzle

Ingredients:

3 Eggs, Beaten 
2 ¼ cups Flour
¾ cup Water
¾ Tsp Kosher Salt
¼ + ⅛ Tsp Baking Powder
1 Dash Pepper
1 Dash Nutmeg

Directions: 

Beat eggs in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
Add flour, water, salt, baking powder, pepper, and nutmeg.  Mix well.
Bring stock to a boil.
Place small amounts of into colander that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
Press mixture through colander into stock.  
Stir after emptying each colander into stock.
Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  

Notes: Food mill with large screen also works.

You can cook this in water, drain, and add sauce of choice.  Or, you can add it to soups as I do.  

We sprayed a food mill with cooking spray and inserted the largest screen.



As I cranked on the food mill, Hope stirred the broth so that the Spaetzle did not clump.  Once all of the dough as added, we cooked the soup at a simmer for five more minutes, stirring frequently.  



I love soups with Spaetzle.  I like it as a change of pace to the everyday noodle.  Cooked correctly, they are light and fluffy and melt in your mouth.  Added to this beef vegetable soup, they were perfect.


So, this is just one suggestion for the beef stock made with the leftover prime rib bones.  Maybe we will see some other ideas later in the year.

Thanks for stopping by,

Bill

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