German Hunter's Soup

 I had dinner at a German restaurant recently and this soup was on the menu.  Reading the description, I was not impressed. However, it was different enough that I ordered it.  Then I was blown away.  It might not look like much but it instantly became my families favorite soup.

 I knew I had to recreate it so I gave it a lot of thought before I set out to do so.  If you want to give it a try, you have to follow my directions and use the exact ingredients or it will not have the incredible flavor that mine does.  The secret is creating a rich beefy stock.  First make the meatballs:


Make the meatballs in a mixer:


Ground Beef- 1/2 lb
Ground Pork- 1/2 lb
Bread-1 slice soaked in milk
Egg-1 beaten
Onion- 1/4 cup
Salt- 1 teaspoon + back pepper to taste
Parsley- 5-6 tablespoons finely chopped divided
Mixing this in a mixer will give you a denser meatball which you need for this soup.  Form this into 1 inch meatballs and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes.  They should not be overcooked because they will continue to cook in the soup.






Saute' 1 diced onion, about 15 sliced button mushrooms and 1 large minced garlic clove  in some bacon/butter. Using some bacon grease gives it a smokey undertone. Add 2 anchovies, 3 T. tomato paste and a few squirts of fish sauce. Do not skip this step.  You will never taste the anchovies but the combination of these three ingredients will give you a very rich beefy broth. Cook until the anchovy dissolves and the paste browns slightly  just a minute or so. Add 2-3 bay leaves, some rosemary and a bit of dried thyme.  Add 8 cups of good beef stock, 2 Knorrs beef tubs, some beef bouillon and 1/4 cup demi glace'.  Add 2 bags of fresh green beans cut into 1 " pieces.  Bring to a slight boil and then turn it down to simmer.  Add your meatballs, cut in half. Cook until the meatballs are warmed through and the beans have just a bit of a crunch. Season with salt and pepper if it needs it.  I like this very peppery.

Somehow, this combination just works.  And it works very well.
I am making it a second time in a matter of days.  It's not quite soup weather but this is good anytime.

Comments

It certainly looks rich and hearty!
NanaDiana said…
That looks SOOOOO good! xo Diana
Rain said…
MMMM! Breakfast, lunch and dinner too? ;)
Thanks for the recipe! I'm going to add that to my list, I know Alex is going to love it.
Guillaume said…
Love the look and the name.
TARYTERRE said…
sounds scrumptious.