A steaming bowl of comforting vegetable beef soup truly hits the spot on a chilly day. But as you happily slurp away, you notice some small white specks swirling around in the broth. What are those floaty little things? They almost look like… Styrofoam?
Don’t worry – your soup hasn’t been contaminated by packing materials Those little white floaties are usually harmless bits of food that have found their way into the broth,
But it’s understandable to be curious about any mystery ingredients floating around in your soup. Let’s take a look at the most likely culprits behind those tiny white specks to solve the case of the vegetable beef broth bits.
Suspect #1: Potatoes
Potatoes are a classic component of beef and vegetable soups. But if the potato pieces aren’t thoroughly cooked, some starchy remnants can separate from the spuds and float freely around the broth.
These bits of potato aren’t unsafe to eat, but they do detract from the soup’s appeal. Prevent white potato floaters by:
- Cutting potatoes into small, evenly-sized cubes before cooking
- Simmering the soup long enough for potatoes to become very tender
- Mash a few cubes of potato into the broth to thicken it
Suspect #2: Barley
Another common ingredient in vegetable beef soup is barley The hearty grain provides texture, fiber and nutty flavor
However, undercooked barley can also release starchy starch into the surrounding broth. For barley that remains intact:
- Use pearled barley, which has had more starch removed
- Simmer barley until very soft before adding to soup
- Add barley at the end to simply heat through if already cooked
Suspect #3: Pasta
Some homemade or restaurant vegetable beef soups feature small pasta shapes like orzo, pastina or stelline. If the pasta is underdone, the white specks could be bits of unhydrated, undissolved pasta.
Be sure to:
- Cook pasta al dente before adding to soup
- Add pasta at end to avoid overcooking into bean-sized bits
- Rinse pasta to remove excess starch after cooking
Suspect #4: Rice
Rice or wild rice provide satisfying bulk to beef soups. But like barley and pasta, starchy rice can break down into white sediment if overcooked.
Prevent this by:
- Cooking rice separately and rinsing before using
- Adding pre-cooked rice at the end to gently heat through
- Using risotto-style rice varieties higher in amylopectin
Suspect #5: Bones
Homemade beef broth often starts with a base of bones. Small bone fragments can sometimes detach after long cooking.
Minimize this by:
- Scooping out larger bones before cooking soup
- Straining the broth through a fine mesh sieve after cooking
- Skimming the surface frequently while simmering
Suspect #6: Collagen or Fat
Long-simmered beef broth jiggles when chilled because it contains collagen and fat melted out of bones, marrow and meats.
As the soup cools, the fat and collagen solidify into snow-like granules. These are safe to eat but not too appealing. To reduce:
- Chill broth completely before use to remove solidified fat
- Skim surface foam and fat while broth simmers
- Use leaner cuts of meat
Suspect #7: Meat Fiber
Shredded or ground beef can shed little bits of meat fiber into the surrounding broth during extended cooking times.
Prevent this by:
- Using larger, well-trimmed pieces of beef
- Poaching beef just until cooked through before shredding
- Cooking ground beef separately and draining before adding to soup
Suspect #8: Herbs and Spices
Sometimes dried herbs or spices can rehydrate awkwardly and float visibly even after thorough simmering. Avoid this by:
- Rehydrating dried herbs first in hot water
- Using fresh herbs or smaller-ground spices
- Straining the soup before serving
Mystery Solved: Enjoy The Soup!
Now that we’ve scrutinized all the usual suspects, you can rest assured those little white floaties are nothing sinister. Just bits of hearty soup ingredients like potatoes, barley or meat.
To minimize undesirable starch, collagen or herb blobs:
- Cook vegetables and starches completely and separately
- Chill and skim broths before adding other ingredients
- Strain finished soups before serving
With a few tweaks to your prep techniques, you can feel good slurping down every last spoonful of your homemade vegetable beef soup without mystery white specks in sight.
Those tiny floaties may not look very pretty swimming around, but they’re harmless remnants of the ingredients that make this soup so hearty and wholesome.
So go ahead – enjoy that steamy, soul-satisfying bowl of beef and veggie soup. Just be sure to chew thoroughly before swallowing!
the secret ingredient in my beef barley soup
It’s sherry. A drinkable sherry, mind you, none of that cooking wine stuff. A bottle will last a long time in your pantry, and I promise you’ll use it a lot to give many recipes kitchen-style flavor.
- Sherry is an aged fortified white wine from Spain. Fortified just means that it has more alcohol than regular wine.
- Sherry is old-fashioned, just like this soup. My great-grandmother always had a small glass of Sherry after dinner. It became known as a “little old lady’s wine” over time, but now it’s back in style!
- I really enjoy the taste, and I keep a few bottles above the stove for cooking.
- People think that sherry is sweet, but most of it is dry, and the flavors can be very complex. Here’s a great guide, if you want to know more.
- You can cook with any kind of dry sherry, but stay away from “cooking sherry,” which has extra ingredients.
- A lot of sherry gives this broth a rich, restaurant-quality taste. Use it in soups, stews, gravies, etc.
Being able to walk home from elementary school for lunch and eat soup with my mom at the kitchen table is one of my favorite food memories. Canned, of course, with buttered crackers on the side. This soup brings back those memories….
What type of beef is best for beef barley soup?
- I like to use London broil, or chuck roast.
- Even if the stew meat is already cut up, you will need to cut it up even more.
Melt-in-your-mouth Beef and Vegetable Soup
FAQ
What is the white stuff floating in my beef broth?
What are the white specks in my stew?
What are the white spots on soup?
What are the white dots on canned beef?
What is in a Vegetable Beef Soup?
Vegetable Beef Soup is a hearty dish with melt-in-your-mouth slow cooked chunks of beef, potato and vegetables, simmered in a herb infused savoury broth. The broth is slightly thickened, giving it the consistency of gravy and extra flavor from a secret ingredient.
How do you cook frozen vegetable beef stew?
To cook frozen vegetable beef stew, bring a large pot of water to a boil and place the bag of frozen soup inside. It’ll warm up in the boiling water in just a few minutes. Alternatively, in a large pot over medium heat, combine the beef broth and beef stew cubes. Bring the broth to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Let the stew simmer until the beef is fork-tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
How do you make a good vegetable beef soup?
To make a good vegetable beef soup, use potatoes for extra-filling (red or russet potatoes work best). Add herbs like bay leaves and fresh parsley (or dill) for flavor. Season the soup with classic salt and pepper, and for even more flavor, add spices like thyme or oregano. The passage discusses the use of these ingredients in a vegetable beef soup recipe.
Can you make Campbell’s vegetarian beef soup at home?
You can make a vegetarian version of Campbell’s Vegetable Beef Soup at home with this copycat recipe. Replace the meat with vegetarian alternatives such as textured vegetable protein (TVP) or soy crumbles. Brown the vegetarian alternative in butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. In a Large Pot or Dutch Oven: Place the browned vegetarian alternative in a large pot or Dutch Oven. Add the remaining ingredients. Cook over low heat for 2 to 3 hours. In a Crockpot Slow Cooker: Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.