Butter is the key to making this soup rich, warm and comforting. The tiny bits of spices add a complexity and earthiness that round out the feel good factor.

Ingredients:
1 lb. stew beef (my butcher regularly has this cut-up convenience ready to go)
1 lb. carrots, cut about 1/3 inch thick (or use baby carrots)
3/4 yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 quart hot water.
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, pressed (see this video for easy peeling)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/8 tsp. ground mustard
1/16 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/16 tsp. ground clove
1/2 tsp. dried parsley

Preparation:
Before you begin, Set a quart of water on to boil (I use a tea kettle). If it boils before you are ready to use it, turn off the heat and leave it covered.

Instructions:

1. In a dutch oven over medium high heat, saute the carrots and onions in 4 Tbsps. butter for 5-10 minutes or until they begin to brown.
2. Remove carrots and onions from pan to a covered bowl.
3. Saute beef for 3-5 minutes, until it begins to brown. Turn once and cook for 3-5 more minutes.
4. Remove beef from pan and put with carrots and onions in covered bowl.
5. Add about 1/8 inch of water to pan, scraping bottom of pan to release all the brownings. This is where your soup gets much of it’s flavor and all of it’s color so do a good job.
6. Add garlic and spices to pan and cook for another minute. Don’t let pan go dry!
7. Return carrots, onion and beef to pan and cover with 1 quart of hot water.
8. Simmer on medium for 35 minutes or until carrots and beef are done.
9. Taste soup and salt to taste. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter into soup.

Notes:
Yields about 6 cups.
Additional vegetables can be added such as mushroom. Just follow the same sauteing procedure.
Freezes well.

The spices and long cooking combine to create a tender beef with a complex flavor not too unlike a mild barbecue sauce. This is definitely a comfort food.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
3 lb. chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat
1 lb. carrots, sliced
1 onion, sliced
3/4 cup water
1 clove garlic, pressed (see this video for easy peeling)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. dried tarragon
1 Tbs. dried oregano
1 Tbs. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary leaves
1 quart home-canned tomatoes OR two pounds fresh, cored and skinned
salt

Directions:
1. Liberally season trimmed roast with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Heat olive oil in dutch oven over medium high heat until it shimmers.
3. Sear roast for about 8 minutes each side, or until it’s well browned.
4. Remove roast from pan and let stand.
5. Add carrots and onions to pan and sauté until browned, stirring once or twice.
6. Add water to pan to deglaze. Scrape bottom of pan to get all brownings up.
7. Add garlic, bay leaf, tarragon, oregano, parsley and rosemary and cook for 2 minutes.
8. Add tomato to pan and bring to a strong simmer.
9. Return roast to pan and reduce to a medium simmer.
10. Simmer covered for 3-4 hours or until meat shreds easily.
11. Spoon tomato sauce over meat each hour to keep it moist.
12. Taste sauce after 3 hours and adjust salt to suit your taste.
13. Remove bay leaf.

Freezes well.