The Hungry Canary

Adapted from Ideals Family Cookbook · Mrs. Floyd Olson

Steak Soup

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Ingredients

  • 1½ cups steak, finely chopped
  • 1 cup carrots, finely chopped
  • 1 cup celery, finely chopped
  • 1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped (replaces 1 cup onions)
  • 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1 standard 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, including juice (modern alternative to the original No. 303 can)
  • 1 cup sorghum flour (replaces 1 cup wheat flour; may require adjustment after testing)
  • 8 cups water
  • 2 Tbsp beef base
  • 1 tsp freshly ground coarse black pepper

Directions

  1. Sauté the chopped steak in a skillet until partly cooked; it will finish cooking in the soup.
  2. Cook the fresh carrots and celery in a little water until partly tender. Sauté the mushrooms briefly to deepen their flavor.
  3. Melt butter in a large soup kettle and stir in the sorghum flour to form a smooth paste. Cook briefly over moderate heat, stirring.
  4. Add the 8 cups water gradually, whisking thoroughly to avoid lumps, then heat and stir until smooth. Sorghum thickens differently from wheat flour; add liquid as needed if the base becomes too thick.
  5. Add the steak, vegetables, tomatoes, beef base and black pepper. Simmer gently for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until beef and vegetables are tender and the meat is thoroughly cooked.
  6. Serve hot.

Cookbook source

Adapted from “Steak Soup,” contributed by Mrs. Floyd Olson to the Ideals Family Cookbook. The original uses 1½ cups finely cut steak, 1 cup each carrots, celery and onions, 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables, 2 Tbsp butter, one No. 303 can tomatoes, 1 cup wheat flour, 8 cups water, 2 Tbsp beef base and 1 tsp coarse black pepper. It calls for part-cooking the steak and fresh vegetables, making a flour-and-butter base, then simmering all ingredients for 1 hour. The contributor describes it as a hearty soup.

Hungry Canary substitutions

Onion: 1 cup chopped mushrooms replaces the original 1 cup chopped onion, avoiding extra celery already in the recipe. Flour: 1 cup sorghum flour replaces the original 1 cup wheat flour as a starting point, but this large amount may produce an especially thick soup and has not yet been tested. Reduce or adjust after testing, rather than assuming identical behavior. The original specifies a No. 303 can of tomatoes, a historical can-size designation. For modern shopping, use one standard 14.5-oz can of diced tomatoes with its juice; the amount is slightly smaller but suitable for this soup.

Ingredient note

Check the beef base and frozen vegetable blend for ingredients and seasonings that may not suit your household. This adaptation retains tomatoes from the original for the general published recipe, even though some households may require a nightshade-free option.