HOW TO FREEZE AND STORE BEEF NOODLE SOUP
Almost everyone has some leftover soup! After all, it is a big pot. Perhaps you know that you are going to save some of this soup in the refrigerator for a few days from now. Or you know you are going to freeze some of it. If this is the case, then simply pull the amount of soup that you are going to refrigerate or freeze before adding the pasta. When you go to reheat the soup, simply bring it to a boil, then quickly reduce it to a simmer. Add the pasta and cook until desired tenderness. This will keep the pasta from becoming mushy.
On the other hand, if you forget to remove the soup that you will save from the pot before adding the pasta, then simply reheat it slowly on the stovetop or at reduced power in the microwave.
Ingredients
2 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
8 ounces white button mushrooms sliced
1 medium yellow onion chopped
2 ribs celery chopped
3 large carrots peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
2-3 lb beef chuck roast trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
8 cups low sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon crushed rosemary
2 bay leaves
8 ounces wide egg noodles
Chopped fresh parsley thyme, or rosemary.
Instructions
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Add the sliced mushroom, cooking for about 2-3 minutes or until just starting to brown.
Add the onions, celery, and carrots cooking until the onions and celery are soft and the carrots are starting to soften. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute while stirring. Spoon the veggie mixture into a bowl and then cover the bowl with a loose paper towel.
Sprinkle the beef with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Heat a little more vegetable oil in the pot and add the beef chunks. Cook until browned on both sides. Add the beef broth, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil and then cover and simmer for about 1 hour or until the beef is fork tender.
Add the egg noodles and cook for about 5 minutes. Spoon the veggies that you put into the bowl back into the soup pot and continue simmering for another 5-7 minutes or until the egg noodles and carrots are fork-tender.
Remove the bay leaves and garnish with fresh chopped parsley, thyme, or rosemary. For best results, serve promptly.
Notes
For optimal taste, I like to use chuck roast for this recipe. Trim it up and cut it into bite-size pieces. You can also purchase pre-cut beef stew meat. It might be a chuck roast, or it might be a hodge podge of pieces and ends from different cuts. Read here on why stew meat may not be the best choice.
Cut your veggies into small pieces so that you get a variety in every spoonful.
Other veggies to add include peas, green beans, tomatoes, and bell peppers.
Cremini mushrooms can be substituted for white button mushrooms.
Peel the carrots so that the beautiful orange color bursts through. It makes the whole dish look more aesthetically pleasing.
Do not forget to remove the bay leaves, as they have sharp edges and could pose a choking hazard.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop on low.
This soup can be frozen for up to 3 months in a heavy-duty freezer zipper bag or sturdy freezer container. See the notes below about freezing this soup.
Nutrition
Calories: 555kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 1267mg | Potassium: 1118mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 5398IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 4mg
