Soups and stews. We can't seem to get enough of them this time of year -- I know I can't. The difference between the two is easy to describe. If you started by simmering meat, poultry, seafood and/or vegetables in a pot of seasoned water-, wine-, juice- or milk- based liquid, you've made soup. If it is thickened at the end of the process, a soup can be stew-like. If you started by cooking/sautéing meat, poultry, seafood and/or vegetables in a small amount of seasoned oil, butter or fat, then added just enough of flour and liquid or thickened liquid to it to bring it to an almost gravy-like consistency, you've made a stew. If only a small amount of flour is used, a stew can be quite soupy. Soup or stew? Thick or thin, it's all about how you began the process.
Every culture, and, I mean every culture, makes wonderful soups and stews using ingredients and seasonings familiar to them and local to their climate. Everywhere you go, soups and stews are served in a cup or a bowl, and, depending on the culture, it's not unusual for them to be ladled over a starch (bread, couscous, rice, potatoes, egg-noodles or other types of noodles, etc.), to turn a light meal into a hearty meal, or, under certain circumstances, a knife-and-fork meal.
The PA Deutsch are known for their egg noodles and noodle dishes. In their farming communities, noodle soups and stews and noodle dishes aren't just a meal -- they're a relaxing, comforting, pull-up-a-chair-after-a-hard-days-work way of life. Today's recipe is not to be confused with Pennsylvania Deutsch Pot Pie, which is a thickened soup, contains their signature pot-pie noodles.
If you don't have time for making homemade stock, worry not. I've written this w/a store-bought stock option too.
Today's recipe is my somewhat-simplified version of their beef noodle soup, which is a clear, nicely-seasoned soup, containing chards of beef and chunky vegetables leftover from the making of the stock, plus, their signature square egg noodles in store-bought form -- which cook right in the soup. There's more. Don't shy away from making this soup with high-quality store-bought stock -- I know you're busy, so I won't criticize. I've written the instructions to include that option.
2 quarts beef stock, preferably homemade (8 cups), or high-quality store-bought stock (Note: When using my homemade stock, I don't need to season it. When using your own homemade beef stock, you may or may not need to season it. When using unsalted store-bought beef stock, season it with: 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, 1 tablespoon sea salt and 1 teaspoon coarse-grind black pepper)
1-1 1/2 pounds cooked beef, preferably from the making of the stock, pulled into bits and pieces, or, leftover oven-roasted beef chuck roast if using store-bought stock
12-16 ounces peeled and 3/4" chunked gold potatoes
6-8 ounces diced yellow or sweet onion
12-16 ounces peeled and 3/4" sliced cooked carrots, from the making of the stock, or, fresh if using store-bought stock
6-8 ounces 3/4" sliced cooked celery, from the making of the stock, or fresh if using store-bought stock
6-8 ounces uncooked square or extra-wide Pennsylvania Dutch egg noodles
minced fresh parsley leaves, for garnish
~Step 1. To make the soup using homemade stock and previously cooked vegetables: In a wide-bottomed 6-quart stockpot, bring the homemade stock to a gentle simmer. Add the potatoes and onions and simmer gently until potatoes are just cooked through, 12-15 minutes. Add the cooked carrots and celery. Return to a gentle simmer. Stir in the beef. To this point, the soup can be prepared several hours in advance -- simply turn off the heat, cover the pot and allow it to steep on the stovetop, then, return it to a simmer and proceed when ready. Stir in the uncooked noodles and simmer until tender, about 8-9 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.
~Step 2. To make the soup using store-bought stock and fresh vegetables: In a wide-bottomed 6-quart stockpot, bring the store-bought stock and additional seasonings to a gentle simmer. Add the potatoes, onions, carrots and celery. Return to a gentle simmer and cook until carrots and potatoes are both tender 12-15 minutes. Stir in the beef. To this point, the soup can be prepared several hours in advance -- simply turn off the heat, cover the pot and allow it to steep on the stovetop, then, return it to a simmer and proceed when ready. Stir in the uncooked noodles and simmer until tender, about 8-9 minutes. Ladle into soup bowls and serve immediately.
Serve & savor each & every scrumptious soupy slurp!
If it's an Old Fashioned Beef Stew you prefer:
My Pennsylvania Deutsch-Style Beef Noodle Soup: Recipe yields 5 quarts.
Special Equipment List: cutting board; chef's knife; vegetable peeler; 6-quart stockpot w/lid; large spoon; soup ladle
Cook's Note: I was born and raised in Eastern, PA, the Lehigh Valley region, which has a large Pennsylvania Dutch community. For the past forty years, I've lived here in Central PA, which has a large Amish population, both known for their pot pie. Lucky am I to have learned how to make both styles. Recipes do vary from cook to cook, and, yes there are cross-over versions because people and their recipes migrated throughout our state and USA, but, if you're interested in a tale of two pot-pies: ~ Nana's Bare Bones PA Deutsch-Style Pot Pie ~.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2019)
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