Beef and Vegetable Soup from a Soup Bunch

So what exactly is a "Soup Bunch"? That is what I asked when I started looking at this recipe. It calls for a large soup bunch of chopped shallots, cabbage, celery, turnips, carrots, potatoes, and parsley. But how much of each? Mom said they use to sell bundles of veggies at the grocery store ready to chop up for soup hence "Soup Bunch". When I asked what was in the bunch she said, "I really don't remember?" So I started to research the topic on the web. Well no one is in agreement on which vegetables and the amount of each. It appears to be regional and seasonal. I guess that makes sense. But it left me with the question, what to put in our soup.

So I went to Mom's and we made the soup recipe with a huge "Soup Bunch" Mom put together. She had a small bag of carrots, 3 shallots, half a green cabbage, a bag of yellow new potatoes, 2 ribs of celery. 2 turnips and a bunch of parsley. It was delicious! Mom said next time she will use more beef. I said maybe next time we should use a smaller "Soup Bunch". Ha Ha! I mean it made a ton of soup! About sixteen, cup and a half bowls. It was so good, so having leftovers was wonderful. I love that this soup cooks so long. In fact it cooks so long that the onions, cabbage and celery start to breakdown into the broth. It gives the soup a hint of green color. I enjoy the big chunks of vegetables. The corn cob is the prize at the end of the bowl. You will not believe the sweetness the whole corn adds to the soup. Next time I think I will add collards or kale to the soup bunch. Collards were one of the veggies listed in a few of the "Soup Bunches" I read about. I really like the concept of "Soup Bunches". I plan to make many more in the future. Now for a challenge...

Please Share your "Soup Bunch"!

Let's see just how many "Soup Bunch" ideas we can collect. 
What does a "Soup Bunch" mean in your area?

Leave a comment with where you live and what is commonly found 

in a soup bunch there. I look forward to your answers.

Beef and Vegetable Soup

Adapted from: Pots, Pans, and Pioneers III

Makes 16 (1-1/2 cup) bowls

Ingredients

2-3 lb. chuck roast, cut up into 1" pieces
1 (14.5 oz.) can no salt added diced tomatoes (undrained)

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

1 large soup bunch

   - 3 shallots, chopped 
   - 1/2 green cabbage, cut into 1" pieces
   - 2 ribs celery, cut into 1" pieces 
   - 2 turnips, peeled and cut into 1" pieces 
   - 1 small bag carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces 
   - 1 bag Yukon gold new potatoes, halved
   - 1 bunch parsley, chopped

2 ears of sweet corn, shucked and cut into 1" coins

1 (14.5 oz.) can no salt added corn (undrained)

1 (14.5 oz.) can green peas
2 bay leaves
Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy, black pepper to taste

Kosher salt to taste (optional)

Directions

Boil meat in water with black pepper. Simmer 1 hour. Add tomatoes, onions, shallots, cabbage, celery and turnips. Simmer 1 hour. Add carrots, potatoes, corn on the cob, corn, peas and parsley. Add bay leaves and seasonings. Taste for seasoning add more salt (if using) and pepper. Simmer until vegetables are tender about 1 more hour.

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky
Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You Do This Weekend?
Stone Cottage Adventures: Tuesdays with a Twist
Anyonita Nibbles: #tastytuesdays

Yesterfood: Treasure Box Tuesday
Turnips 2 Tangerines: Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday

Gumbo Vert

Gumbo Vert (Verre) is the short name for this Gumbo. It should really be called "Lazy Cajun Daughter's Lowfat Gumbo Vert". Gumbo Vert is Green Gumbo in french. It has a traditional roux with lots of the trinity(celery, onion and bell pepper) then any and every dark leafy green you can think of. Our family always used turnip, collard, mustard, spinach and lettuce. If they had tops of beets or carrots then that would go in there too. My mom, and both Maw Maws; washed their greens, sliced the greens and par-boiled the greens for their Gumbo Vert. I cheat, I buy the frozen greens. Yes! That makes me the Lazy Cajun Daughter. 

In an effort to reduce the fat in the gumbo, I also use a dry fat free roux. You can buy this roux in jars at most grocery stores. It is an oven browned flour. You get that rich flavor without the fat. Now I can see you wrinkling your nose, thinking that is a lot of greens. But in this day and age when people put spinach in their fruit smoothies and eat kale as chips, in soup and salads don't you think you could give it a try. Greens are so good for you. This Gumbo Vert is savory and I think the flavors of the greens blend really well in the roux. I think I taste the spinach the most. Dad enjoys his over rice, Mom likes it as a soup, I think it is great any way you serve it.

I did buy a local andouille for this Gumbo. It came from Bergeron's. It was not the andouille I am use to from Jacob's in LaPlace, LA but it did have the same texture and great flavor. The best I have bought in Shreveport. It could have used a little less salt and more smoke. All that said, it was great in the Gumbo. I would buy it again if I didn't have Jacob's in the freezer.

Gumbo Vert (Lowfat)
Makes about 5 quarts

1 lb andouille sausage, sliced in quarters 
2 Tbsp olive oil 
2 large onions, diced 
1 green bell pepper, diced 
1 bunch celery, sliced 
1 cup dry fat free roux 
1 lb iceberg lettuce, shredded 
1 lb frozen turnip greens, semi defrosted 
1 lb frozen collard greens, semi defrosted 
1 lb frozen mustard greens, semi defrosted 
1 lb frozen spinach, semi defrosted 
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 bunch parsley, chopped
Season to Taste* (Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and Cajun seasoning) 

Using a large pot. Cook andouille over medium heat until it starts to brown a bit. Remove from pot and set aside.

Add olive oil, pepper, celery, and onion to pot cook until veggies start to soften. Add roux and stir in well. You can add a little water if it begins to stick. Add lettuce to roux cook until it begins to wilt. Then add greens to pot one at a time stirring to combine before you add the next bag. Add green onions and parsley, stir to combine. When all greens are in the pot add water to cover. Season to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer at least one hour. Puree with a stick blender or in batches in a blender. Add the andouille back to the pot. Simmer until the andouille is warm and flavors combine. Check once more for seasoning.

Serve over rice or as a puréed soup.

Makes about 20 - 1 cup servings 

* Season to your taste, the Greens will take a lot of seasoning I would say it depends on the andouille: I used about 2-1/4 tsp Salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, and 1 tsp Cajun seasoning. Add seasoning a little at a time. Taste after adding andouille and simmering a few minutes.

Roux with the first addition of greens

After adding water

Seasoning the Gumbo

Gumbo pureed adding the Andouille

Linking to:
Memories by the Mile: Tuesday Trivia - LOUISIANA and Link Party
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo

Turnip Stew

Yesterday Mom walked me through a family recipe for Turnip Stew. We wanted to have a hot meal for when Dad returned from deer hunting. This was something that his mom, my Maw Maw would serve. Mom said her family used this technique for potato, carrot and vegetable stews. But she didn't remember her mom, my Ma Ma ever making turnip stew. This stew begins with a dark roux, then the addition of onions, bell pepper and celery(the Trinity of Cajun cooking). Once the veggies are cooked down you add the beef and cook until almost tender before adding the turnips. This recipe is a long cooking one but well worth the time. I look forward to using this method to make a vegetable stew this winter.

Turnip Stew

Serves 10

1 cup flour

1 cup vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

1/2 large green bell pepper

3 ribs of celery

3 lbs lean stew beef

5 lbs turnips, peeled and diced into 1 to 1-1/2” cubes

1 bunch green onions, sliced

1/2 bunch of parsley, chopped
salt and black pepper
red pepper flakes
cajun seasoning
prepared white rice

Heat flour and oil on medium-low heat until milk chocolate or dark caramel color.

           

Add pepper, celery, and onion cook until softened. About 30 minutes.  Season the beef with salt, black pepper, red pepper and cajun seasoning. Add beef to roux cook another 1-1/2 hours. Add turnips and cook another 1-1/2 hours or until beef and turnips are tender. Add green onions and cook a few minutes. Taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary. Add the parsley just before serving. Serve over warm rice.