The most common use of stale bread in soup is in French Onion...the crispy croutons, the melted Gruyere, the sweet onions in a beefy broth with a hint of sherry. But, using stale bread in soups dates back to the very beginnings of the word soup. Did you know that the word soup can be traced back to a Latin word, suppa, meaning bread soaked in broth? Bread and soup walked hand in hand throughout history. If soup was there, then bread was there too. It is commonly used as a thickening agent and found as an ingredient in soups across the land. Germany, Italy, France, even Iceland have their own versions of bread soup. Bread was used in soups well before there was even such a thing as a sandwich.
A common dish spanning Europe was a meat broth, simmered for hours. Root vegetables were commonly added, as well as spices native to the land it was being simmered in. Add bread and a bit of cheese and you have a feast on your hands.
Today, our feast of choice: Corned Beef and Cabbage
'Corned beef broth?!?!' you ask.
Whose ever heard of such a thing?
Corned beef is soaked in a brine and tends to be very salty. How can one make soup out of that?
Well, guess what. One can and it's good.
The key to the broth is to keep adding water so you have a perfect broth that's not too salty.***
Every time I make corned beef and cabbage, there's that flavorful broth the corned beef sits in that teeming with flavor. The zesty horseradish, the rye on the side all combine to make the most savory of dinners. If we are lucky enough to have any leftovers, the next day brings Reuben's or even just a simple corned beef on rye with Swiss. That's the catch, "if we are lucky enough to have left overs". The corned beef disappears the first night. The next day we are left craving leftovers So, what better way to have the best of both worlds? Combine the two... a corned beef on rye with Swiss AND corned beef and cabbage.
Thick, hearty rye topped with hot, melt-y cheesy goodness; soaking in a savory broth.
Thick chunks of tender corned beef with hints of tangy horseradish...
What more could one ask for.
Bread suppa, anyone?
Yes, Please!!!!
(***There are times the corned beef adds just a bit much to the party. If this happens and you are overwhelmed with salt and diluting it won't help, just scoop out a bit of the soup and replace it with water. I've done this and it's turned out perfectly. Just do this with small amounts at a time so your soup doesn't end up being too watery.
For an even different taste, try adding a little beer during the cooking process, something on the more mild side would be perfect, like a lager.***)
Ingredients
3 1/2 lb Corned Beef
2 Bay Leaves
8 cups Water
3 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth (or salt free)
1 large Onion, chopped
4 medium Carrots, sliced
2-3 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes, chopped
1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
Day Old Rye Bread
Swiss Cheese
Horseradish (optional)
Special equipment:
Time (3 hours plus)
Large Stockpot
Cheesecloth
A Broiler
Removed your brisket from it's packaging. Discard any excess brine.
Discard the pickling spice. We won't be using it today.
Place the corned beef in a large stock pot.
Add the water, the broth and the bay leaves.
Let simmer for three hours, occasionally adding more water to keep the corned beef covered.
The cooking time for corned beef is about an hour a pound. Our brisket is three and a half pounds, so we will simmer it just a half an hour shy of where it needs to be. This way, we have time left to cook all of our veggies in the broth later.
Carefully line a colander with cheesecloth and set over a very large bowl or another stock pot.
I used my entire package of cheesecloth, folding it over as many times as I could, while still fitting inside the strainer. I have an extra stockpot with a steamer insert and it worked beautifully.
Set the brisket to the side and carefully pour your soup over the cheesecloth.
This will help to remove any cloudiness your soup has, as well as little particles of corned beef floating around.
Return the broth to your soup pot and place it back on the burner. Add your veggies.
Add the onions first.
Add the carrots and the potatoes.
Let them simmer about ten minutes or so before adding the cabbage.
The cabbage will cook pretty quickly so that will be the last thing we add back to the pot.
While the veggies are cooking, slice the corned beef into bite sized chunks, removing the fat.
Add to the soup while the veggies are cooking.
Add some fresh cracked black pepper.
This is the tricky part.
Now that your soup is almost done, we have to test it and make sure it is appetizing.
Corned beef brisket can be very salty and that salt is now in our broth.
A little salt makes everything taste better but too much can be very unappetizing.
Take a big spoonful of the broth, letting it cool slightly and taste it.
If the broth has become too concentrated from the long cooking time, add water.
Do this a little at a time, by the half cup. Stir and taste until you have achieved a perfect balance of flavor.
The soup can now be served as it, with a heaping dollop of horseradish and a side of rye......
OR
Perhaps we can go just a little further...
Let's take some day old bread...rye bread of course.
If you forgot to leave your bread out to get hard and stale, we can fix that.
(Don't substitute the rye bread with white. It will become soggy and fall apart very quickly. In fact, the heartier the rye, the better.)
Heat your oven to 250 degrees. Set your slices of bread in the oven and let them dry out about 10-15 minutes on each side.
Once your bread is hard and the soup is ready to go, turn your broiler on.
Take your rye slices and place them on a cookie sheet.
Cover each slice of rye with Swiss and let it bubble and ooze.
Place the cheesy bread in the crock.
Serve with horseradish.
Ready for a bite?
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