Uncle Tom's Vegetable Beef Soup
"This is medicine" - said Grandma Kay
Traditional Oxtail (or beef) & Vegetable Soup is a Thanksgiving Weekend favorite. Having this hearty, warming soup on a chilly November afternoon could not be more comforting. It feels like home. Uncle Tom Drozdz makes this soup every year, and I love how much vegetables are chopped in - truly medicine for the body and soul. I'm lucky enough that Uncle Tom shared this recipe with me - and comes to find out it's actually fairly simple for us to make at home! It makes for perfect freezer meals or to share with a large family get together. Uncle Tom made about 22 Quarts, so it really tells you any proportion works! This is the "base recipe" but you can add as much beef or vegetables as you want! I might even try this in the crockpot. Hope you enjoy as much as the Drozdz family does every year!
Uncle Tom's Vegetable Beef Soup
2 lb. Oxtails (or beef soup meat - "go to your butcher and say "I am making soup, what is the most tender meat for a soup? Butcher will give you what you need" - Tom)
Beef broth (as much as you want to use! The more you add the more broth you'll have)
1 lb. Carrots, roughly chopped
1 stalk Celery, roughly chopped
1 Onions, roughly chopped
1 bunch Parsley (chop up some leaves and the remaining stem/bunch tie up in rubber band/string)
1 lb. Parsnips
1 can tomatoes (whole peeled, or diced)
Optional Barley
Simmer meat for 1.5 hours (you can use beef broth or do 50/50 water/broth or use a bouillon). As it's cooking you'll get foam at the top of the soup... take a strainer and scoop off and toss out.
At 1.5 hour mark, add barley (optional) and let simmer 30 minutes.
At 2 hour mark - add vegetables - carrots, celery, parsley, parsnips, onions (any veggies you want to add).
At 2.5 hour mark - add tomatoes (whole peeled canned tomatoes - drain water and cut up or leave whole). Simmer for 30 minutes.
Total cooking time: 2-3 hours
Optional to also add all ingredients to a large crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours.