I recently put out a call to readers (although perhaps the plural is a bit optimistic) for requests for recipes you might want to see. What I got back was a veritable tureenful (ouch) of suggestions.  The best chef I know, asked for Split Pea, Mushroom or Cabbage Beet.  I also got an intriguing request to make a low-carb Vegetable Beef soup. And since I’ve been on a vegetarian kick the last two weeks, I decided to swing back to the high-protein end of the spectrum.

The result is a potato-less upgrade of a traditional American soup that is more internationally flavored than the original.  What the digerati might call Vegetable Beef Soup 2.0.

And while Web 2.0 might be an accurate label for the World Wide Web’s social media phase, when you’re talking about cuisine, that number is off by several orders of magnitude, i.e. tens of thousands. The digital set like to think that the internet has freed up the means of production and opened up self-expression to anyone with a computer and an internet service provider.  In the kitchen that happened milennia ago when anyone with a pot and access to fire got to participate.

Breakfast? Lunch? Dinner? These are the ultimate social media.

As with the online community, the cross-pollination among culinary communities has accelerated in the past few years as ingredients and techniques spread around the globe.  The difference is that in the world of cooking, these expressions still have to taste good, whereas on the Internet any bozo with a blog gets to be part of the conversation. (Hi everyone!)

It all comes together in a soup pot, the same way it has since some cave person discovered boiling water—and  shortly thereafter, the oven mitt.

How it comes together for me is through conversations with friends and colleagues, a vague understanding of a few classic dishes and the thrill of creating something new.  This has led to some great successes, e.g.  a Caprese Soup based on the Caprese Salad (tomatoes, basil, and mozarella in a balsamic vinaigrette), a Coq au Vin Soup based on the French dish of the same name (chicken, mushrooms, pinot noir, etc.)  It has also led to some great failures, the memories of which I have completely repressed.

My version of Vegetable Beef Soup borrows from the Mexican dish Carne Asada—a favorite of the taco trucks found throughout my old home of Los Angeles.  It starts with a cut of beef* marinated in citrus, garlic and cilantro that is then grilled or broiled.  The cooks in the catering trucks put this delicacy into tacos, burritos, and a number of other dishes.  I put it into soup.

I’m thinking this recipe is not one I’m going to forget about.  In fact, since I’m putting it online, it will probably exist in some form a lot longer than I will.  That’s okay, I’ve got worse things than that haunting me.

If it reaches your eyes, or better yet, your table, let me know what you think.  If you have some ideas to improve it, I want to hear those too.  As I said a few weeks ago, this is a community bowl.  Pass it on.  Pass it back. Just move it along, people.  Nothing more to see here.

* Note:  If you want to make this soup vegetarian, try substituting portabello mushrooms for the beef,  then proceed to marinate, grill, etc.  It’s not bad either.

Thanks to Monique, Mary, Martie, Jamie and Don for your requests.  It may take a while but I’ll get to all of them.

Carne Asada Vegetable Soup (Mexican Style Vegetable Beef)
(serves 4-6)
1 lb beef chuck, sliced thin
Marinade:
½ cup cilantro, chopped
¼ cup onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup lime juice
½ cup olive oil
salt & pepper
4 cups beef or vegetable stock
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup corn
1 cup peas
1 cup onions, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

1. Place the beef in the marinade and refrigerate for 1 to 6 hours.  Save the marinade.
2. Broil or grill the beef for about 5 minutes then turn the pieces over and continue cooking until done (another 5 minutes). Remove from heat, chop into small pieces and set aside.
3. Strain the marinade to get rid of all the liquid (½ cup of oil is just too much for a soup).
4. Add the beef, strained marinade ingredients, stock, vegetables and seasonings (go easy on the salt) to a 2-3 quart pot, cover, bring to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and continue simmering for about an hour (The longer the better.  The soup will taste even better the next day, but don’t simmer it that long unless you’ve got a fire marshall nearby)
5. Serve warm with quesadillas or chips and salsa.

Image Credit:  The wonderful people at ClipArt and an infinitesimally small amount of creativity.  It’s not Terry Gilliam caliber, but it’s late.

Comments? Questions? Requests?  You’ve seen some of my inspirations.  Why not add your particular tastes to the mix.  I’ll be listening and responding.