Traditional Beef & Vegetables Soup

Ingredients

• 1 large carrot - جزرة
• 1 large onion - بصلة
• 2 slice green onions - بصل أخضر
• 1 tablespoon olive oil - زيت زيتون
• 2 medium bay leaves - ورق لاورا
• 3 small mastic / mesteka - مستكة
• 3 medium cardamom - حبهان
• 500 gram beef cubes - لحم كباب حلة
• 1 kg mixed vegetables - خضراوات مشكلة
• black pepper (to taste) - فلفل أسود
• sea salt (to taste) - ملح البحر

Step by step

1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot.
2. Add roughly chopped carrots, onion, spring onions, bay leaves, mastic and cardamom. Mix on high heat for a few seconds.
3. Dry the beef cubes using kitchen paper. Add beef cubes and season with black pepper. Mix beef cubes with the vegetables on high heat, making sure the cubes are seared from all sides and become golden in colour.
4. Cover generously with boiling water from the kettle. Lower heat, half-cover, and leave to simmer for 90- 120 minutes or until beef cubes are soft to slice with a spoon.
5. Pass the stock through a sieve into a clean pot. Spoon the beef cubes from the sieve into the stock. Use a back of a spoon to press on the leftover veggies in the sieve to get all their goodness into the soup.
6. Add washed veggies of choice (peas, carrots, green onions, broccoli, celery, zucchini, green beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes) into the soup. Season with salt. Leave to simmer until vegetables are cooked to your liking (about 15 minutes). Serve warm with lemon wedges.