Perfect Winter Soup for Russian Recipes Revisited: Beef and White Beans Soup

October is almost over, so it's time for this month's Russian Recipes Revisited post. This time I give you one of my favorite recipes that my mom has been making ever since I remember: Beef and White Beans Soup. This soup is perfect for chilly days or nights, and is quite easy to make: it just takes a while to simmer.

It's hard to believe this is the first time I've ever made this soup. It has a great beef flavor, with soft and tender white beans, root vegetables and fork tender beef. The idea to make this recipe came to me when I was talking to my little brother {ok, he's actually almost 25 years old, but he'll always be a little brother to me} and he told me he was making beef and white bean soup. I asked him to give me a list of ingredients and directions and went grocery shopping that same day. I've altered some of Misha's directions slightly and here's what I came up with:

Perfect Winter Soup for Russian Recipes Revisited: Beef and White Beans Soup
Serves an army

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 pound piece of beef chuck tender roast
salt & pepper
4 quarts water
1.5 cups white beans soaked overnight
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-3" pieces
6 celery stalks, cut into 2-3" pieces
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into 2-3" pieces
2 onions, peeled and quartered
10 garlic cloves, peeled
chopped parsley to garnish

{dry beans on the left, soaked beans on the right}

Directions
1. Heat oil in your largest soup pot, at least 6 quarts.
2. Season the beef with salt and pepper and brown on both sides.
3. Pour four quarts of water, bring to a boil and skim all the gunk that comes to the surface until you end up with clear liquid. This will take about 15 minutes.

4. Once you have clear broth, turn the heat down and simmer the beef covered for an hour and a half.
5. Add the beans and the vegetables. Season with more salt and pepper. After bringing the soup back to a boil, lower the heat and simmer the soup covered for about an hour, or until the beans are tender.

This is what the beef and vegetables look like after they've been cooked.

To serve, shred the beef, or chop it, and put it on the bottom of the soup bowl. Add the beans and the vegetables and cover with the broth. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

A FEW NOTES FROM MY MOM
1. Use a piece of meat with a lot of marbeling
2. Use a piece of meat with a bone in it.
{I disregarded both, but passing them on to you so you can do what you want.}

I must admit that this was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much soup for one person, but I made it till the end of the soup pot ;) It's great with a few squirts of sriracha or even a little bit of mayonnaise.

Make this soup for your family soon!

Thank you mom for making this soup for me a zillion times, and thank you Misha for giving me the recipe. ♥

Here's a picture of Misha and me ;)