Giada De Laurentiis Beef and Lentil Soup from Family Dinners
I made this today because I wanted something different, it was good too. Changes I made are in parentheses. I was lazy and did put all of my veggies in the food processor instead of hand chopping. I am sure it would be a prettier soup if you could actually see the carrots and celery.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes (I had 2 .90 packs of lean stew beef)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large celery stalks, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped (I used the blender b/c Steven don't like carrots)
1 large onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
6 (14-ounce) cans beef broth (I had 2 boxes of beef broth, I think it was 64 oz total)
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice (I use 2 "regular" size cans)
2 cups (about 11 ounces) lentils, rinsed
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves (I used curley leaf)
Heat the oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper. Add half of the beef and cook until brown, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining beef. Add the celery, carrots, onion, garlic, rosemary, and oregano to the pot. Saute until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Return the beef and any accumulated juices from the bowl to the pot. Add the broth and tomatoes with their juice. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the meat is just tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Add the lentils. Cover and continue simmering until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes (Mine cooked about 1.5 hours). Stir in the parsley (I accidentally added this with the lentils). Season the soup, to taste, with salt and pepper.
