I am convinced that any type of food served in an edible container will always be a winner. Case in point, anything at all in a chocolate cup, brandied mashed sweet potatoes in orange cups, and any type of soup in a bread bowl. Am I right? There is just something about knowing that you can eat both the food and the container that makes it so much fun. The main dish at the luncheon I served a couple of days ago was a hearty steak soup -- most welcome since the weather took a rather surprising cold turn. The soup on its own is delicious, but served in a bread bowl where you can scoop up both soup and bread to savor at once is comfort food heaven.
The bowls I picked up at St. Louis Bread Company (Panera to anyone who lives outside of the St. Louis metro area), the soup is my own recipe. As is the case with any soup, it's really all about using what you have, experimenting with various tastes, and coming up with something that is pleasing to your palate. So consider this recipe as more of a guideline than God's word.
Hearty Steak Soup
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 pounds ground chuck
1 large onion, diced
60 oz. beef stock*
1 cup diced carrots
4 ounces button mushrooms, quartered
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup fresh green beans, cut in half
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried thyme
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Melt butter in large stock pot. Add flour stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes. Slowly add stock and continue stirring until the roux is fully incorporated. Add vegetables. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, in large skillet or saute pan, brown ground chuck and onion. Drain. Add to vegetable mixture and simmer until you achieve desired thickness. If need be, mix up a tablespoon of cornstarch and tablespoon of cold water and stir in. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper, steak sauce, or your favorite steak seasoning mixture.
If using a bread bowl to serve this soup, you might want it a bit thinner as a lot of the juice is absorbed by the bowl.
*canned, homemade, or made from Better than Bouillon Soup Base
The bowls I picked up at St. Louis Bread Company (Panera to anyone who lives outside of the St. Louis metro area), the soup is my own recipe. As is the case with any soup, it's really all about using what you have, experimenting with various tastes, and coming up with something that is pleasing to your palate. So consider this recipe as more of a guideline than God's word.
Hearty Steak Soup
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 pounds ground chuck
1 large onion, diced
60 oz. beef stock*
1 cup diced carrots
4 ounces button mushrooms, quartered
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup fresh green beans, cut in half
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried thyme
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Melt butter in large stock pot. Add flour stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes. Slowly add stock and continue stirring until the roux is fully incorporated. Add vegetables. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, in large skillet or saute pan, brown ground chuck and onion. Drain. Add to vegetable mixture and simmer until you achieve desired thickness. If need be, mix up a tablespoon of cornstarch and tablespoon of cold water and stir in. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper, steak sauce, or your favorite steak seasoning mixture.
If using a bread bowl to serve this soup, you might want it a bit thinner as a lot of the juice is absorbed by the bowl.
*canned, homemade, or made from Better than Bouillon Soup Base
