As winter blankets our surroundings with glistening snow and frigid temperatures, the desire for a steaming bowl of soup becomes irresistible. While Snert would be a tempting choice, today, we embark on the journey of recreating my Oma’s groentesoep. Groentesoep, translating to vegetable soup, holds a special place in my heart as a winter comfort food. Despite its name, this soup, prepared with a rich beef broth, tiny meatballs, and an assortment of vegetables, exudes warmth that goes beyond the season.
This dish holds a special place in my heart, reminiscent of the times spent with mijn Oma en Opa in Helmond, where the aroma of this soup would embrace the kitchen. The magic lies in the simplicity of a hearty broth, mingling with the flavors of tender vegetables, perfectly seasoned miniature meatballs, and the subtle elegance of vermicelli.
Growing up, my anticipation for Oma’s groentesoep reached its peak whenever I knew we were going to visit Oma and Opa in Helmond. The joy of savoring each spoonful, brimming with familial warmth, is a memory etched in time. Strikingly, when my mom made the same recipe at home, in Utrecht, it never quite tasted the same as Oma’s soup. However, when my parents moved to Helmond, mysteriously, mom’s soup started tasting just like Oma’s. We attribute this alchemy to the water, as if the very essence of Helmond flowed through every ladle, bringing to life the authentic taste of Oma’s groentesoep.
Ingredients
Broth
- 2 l Water
- 1 kg Brisket
- 2 Bay Leaf
- 150 g Celery Root
- 60 g Beef Bouillon Base
Soup
- 225 g Leeks
- 100 g Cauliflower Florets
- 150 g Carrot
- 125 g Celery
- 75 g Vermicelli
Meatballs
- 450 g Ground Beef
- Pepper to taste
- Salt to taste
EQUIPMENT
NUTRITION
Disclaimer
Nutrition Facts provided are a calculated estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Instructions
Making the Broth
- Trim any excess fat off your brisket, and add it to your Instant Pot
- Peel and dice your celery root, and add it to your Instant Pot
- Introduce the aromatic touch by placing bay leaves into the Instant Pot.
- Cover the ingredients in the Instant Pot with your water
- Securely place the lid on the Instant Pot, making certain that the vent is set to the “Sealing” position.
- Cook on high-pressure for 1 hour and 15 minutes.I am using an Instant Pot for this recipe. If you do not have one, you can use the stovetop method. Place the brisket, celery root, and bay leaves in a large pot and cover it with the water, ensuring the brisket is fully submerged. Bring to a boil, then set the heat to low, allowing the brisket to simmer gently for approximately 4 hours. This slow and steady simmering process is the key to achieving a broth that’s not only deeply infused with the essence of the brisket but also renders the meat fall-apart tender. Throughout the simmering period, periodically check the water level, adjusting as needed to maintain the brisket’s submersion. The result will be a sumptuous, homemade broth that forms the foundation of the delectable groentesoep, embodying the time-honored essence of Dutch cuisine.
Prepping the Vegetables
- Cut off the dark green portions and roots of the leeks.Next, slice each leek lengthwise and proceed to cut them into thin slices, approximately 5mm or ¼ inch in width.Place the sliced leeks in a bowl of water and gently agitate them to encourage any dirt or sand to settle at the bottom. In case there is a substantial amount of dirt, consider removing the leeks from the bowl, discarding the soiled water, adding fresh water, and reintroducing the leeks. Repeat this process until the water remains clear, ensuring the leeks are thoroughly cleansed.
- Rinse the cauliflower thoroughly, and then proceed to trim the cauliflower florets into small pieces. Typically, I prefer to eliminate a significant portion of the stems and break the florets into smaller, bite-sized pieces.
- Clean the carrots, and cut them into pieces.
- Wash the celery and trim off the ends. Subsequently, slice the celery into half-moons, each approximately 5mm or ¼ inch thick.
Making the Meatballs
- Put the ground beef into a bowl
- Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Exercise caution with the salt, considering the soup’s inherent salinity.
- Mix the salt and pepper thoroughly through the ground beef.
- Form small meatballs from the ground beef, aiming for a size comparable to a marble. Fondly reminiscing, I recall the times I assisted my mom and even my Oma in this very task. Feel free to involve your family in this process for a shared cooking experience! As a child, I tended to make the meatballs larger, but both my Oma and mom would playfully catch me, insisting that I make them smaller!
Making the Soup
- When the Instant Pot is done, let it sit for 10 minutes. Then, turn the vent to the “venting” position, to de-pressurize.Remember: Exercise caution as the steam released from the vent can be extremely hot!
- Remove the brisket from the Instant Pot. Since we won’t be incorporating it into the soup, feel free to repurpose it for any other recipe of your preference, such as kroketten or bitterballen.
- Put the Instant Pot in Sauté mode, on high, and add the meatballs.If you don’t have an Instant Pot, just put the broth over medium-high heat instead.Let them cook for about 10 minutes.
- Change the Sauté mode to “Normal,” and add the vegetables to the soup, and let them cook for 8 minutes.
- Break the vermicelli into thirds, you don’t want the strands to be too long in your soup.Cook until the vermicelli is soft.When preparing a substantial batch, I frequently opt not to add vermicelli to the entire pot at once. Instead, I portion the soup into multiple containers for refrigeration or freezing. The portion I plan to consume immediately remains in the pot, to which I add vermicelli.As I reheat the reserved containers, I introduce vermicelli while the soup warms. This method ensures that the noodles maintain their ideal texture, preventing them from becoming excessively mushy during the storage and reheating process.
