Bistro Beef Soup with Stir-Fried Steak

Hearty Potato & Carrot One-Bowl Meal for Fall

Consider this french-style soup, virtually an entire meal in one bowl. Combine cubes of stir-fried steak in a herb-seasoned broth lavished with potatoes and sliced carrots.

While the soup is simmering, serve a simple first course salad of torn butter lettuce with minced chives and your favorite oil and vinegar dressing. Keep the french feeling with dessert of fruit and cheese: juicy pears and a wedge of blue cheese. Sauteed steak makes the soup.

Prep and Cook time is 30 minutes. Recipe makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium size onion, quartered
• 4 tbsp.olive oil
• 2 meduium-sized thin-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 cubes
• 3 medium size carrots, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
• 4 cups canned beef broth
• 1 lb. lean boneless beef steak, such as rib-eye or sirloin, trimmed of fat
• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup minced parsley, and/or basil leaves

Instructions:

1. Thinly slice 2 of the onion quarters; chop remaining onion.
2. In a 4-5 quart pan over medium heat, combine 2 tbsp. of the oil, the chopped onion, and the potatoes, carrots, and pepper.
3. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until onion are soft and beginning to brown (8-10 minutes).
4. Pour in broth, cover and boil gently until potatoes are tender to bite (8-10 more minutes).
5. Cut meat into 1-inch squares about 1/2 inch thick.
6. Place a wide non-stick frying pan over high heat; add remaining 2 tbsp. oil. To heat oil, add one fourth of the beef and one fourth of the sliced onion.
7. Stir-fry meat until browned (about 1 minute). With a slotted spoon, transfer mixture to 1 soup bowl.
8. Repeat with remaining 3 portions of meat and sliced onion, spooning each into a separate bowl.
9. After all meat and onions are cooked, remove pan from heat. Add vinegar to frying pan and stir into pan drippings. Stir vinegar mixture into broth, then add parsley.
10. Ladle hot broth and vegetable evenly over steak in bowls. Garnish with basil if desired.