Beef and Swiss Chard Soup with Spelt

Składniki

2 pounds (900 g) boneless beef chuck roast, cut into two or three pieces

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 large (12 oz/350 g) onion, sliced as thin as possible

4 large garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

1 cup (240 ml) dry white wine

2 quarts (2 liters) chicken, beef, or vegetable broth, homemade or low-sodium store-bought, or water

2 bay leaves

A few small sprigs thyme

1 bunch Swiss chard, ends trimmed, stems cut out from the leaves and thinly sliced, leaves cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) ribbons

2 large carrots, cut into

¼-inch (6 mm) dice (1 generous cup/180 g)

1 cup (180 g) uncooked spelt

One 14.5-ounce (410 g) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped

Horseradish cream (optional):

½ cup (120 g) crème fraîche or sour cream mixed with

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

Wskazówki

Season the beef generously all over with salt and pepper. Pour a glug of olive oil into a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until nicely browned on all sides, about 15 minutes for the whole process. Cook the beef in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan, which will inhibit browning (properly browned beef will add a ton of flavor to the soup).

Remove the beef and set it aside. Add the onion and garlic to the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently and making sure you dissolve the meat juices with the moisture from the onion so it doesn't burn, until the onion is soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes.

Add the wine, increase the heat to high, and simmer rapidly until the wine has reduced to under ½ cup (120 ml). Add the broth, bay leaves, and thyme. Return the beef chunks to the pot, immediately reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and simmer until the beef is very tender, anywhere from 1 to 3 hours, depending on your cut of beef. Remove the beef, let it cool, and pull it apart into generous bite-size chunks, discarding any big pockets of fat or gristle.

While the beef cools, add the chard stems, carrots, and spelt to the broth and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the chard leaves and tomatoes and simmer until all the vegetables are tender and the spelt is fully cooked and tender, another 10 to 15 minutes.

Return the beef to the pot, taste, and adjust the seasoning and the amount of liquid; you may need to add up to a pint or more.

Serve simply or with a spoonful of horseradish cream drizzled over the soup. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notatki

Note: Grains are thirsty, so keep an eye on liquid levels. If the spelt has drunk up a lot of broth, just add a bit more broth or water, simmer to incorporate, and you'll be fine.

Most beef soup recipes ask the cook to cut the beef into bite- size pieces before cooking, but I find that you can end up with dry bits of beef, with all the flavor cooked out of them. Instead, I simmer big ol' chunks of chuck roast slowly until fully tender and then pull them into smaller shreds and pieces. This keeps the beef more succulent, and it's frankly easier! You can also use the shredding step as a time to locate and discard any big pieces of fat, silver skin, or gristle. —Makes 3 quarts (3 liters), serves 6 to 8