Equipment Needed
- A large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot
- A wooden spoon or sturdy spatula
- A whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
Step-by-Step Instructions
We start by building our flavor base. In your large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, breaking it up with your spoon, until it’s nicely browned and no longer pink. Once cooked, I use a slotted spoon to transfer the beef to a bowl, leaving the drippings in the pot. This beefy fond is liquid gold. To the same pot, add the butter. Once melted, add the diced onion, shredded carrots, and diced celery. Sauté these for about 5-7 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent and the whole kitchen smells amazing.
Now, it’s time to build our soup body. Sprinkle the cooked vegetables with the Italian seasoning, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir for a minute until the herbs are fragrant. Add the diced potatoes and the chicken broth. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and let it cook for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender. This simmering time allows the potatoes to release their starch and the flavors to start marrying into a cohesive broth.
While the potatoes simmer, we’ll make a simple roux to thicken our soup. In a small bowl, whisk the ¼ cup of flour with about ½ cup of the milk until it forms a completely smooth, lump-free slurry. This is your thickening agent. Once the potatoes are tender, slowly drizzle this slurry into the simmering soup, stirring constantly. The soup will begin to thicken almost immediately. Let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.(See the next page below to continue…)