Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

As much as I love beef stroganoff, it seems I never have enough sauce for the noodles.  It occured to me that I could actually turn all of the ingredients into a soup.  It is a creative cooking adventure to deconstruct a recipe and turn it into something else.  Rachel Ray is always doing this with her stoups.  I wonder if she has done it with beef stroganoff?  I haven’t looked.

We have had a constant house party here at the lake this September.  It has been fun, but cooking for two again is relaxing.  The weather has cooled and I have the last load of beach towels in the dryer ready to be folded and stored for the season.  The light on the lake has lengthened and mornings are crisp and clear.  It is soup time.

The beef stroganoff recipe came about because it was what I had on hand.  There was a top sirloin steak in the freezer, beef broth and noodles in the pantry, and heavy cream and sour cream in the fridge.  It would have been good with mushrooms if I had them but the lack of them did not change the goodness of the soup.

A quick word about photography and my blog makeover.  The above picture was taken at my kitchen window which receives morning light.  The shadow that you see on the plate could be easily eliminated.   Cristobal told me that by using a white core board in front of the soup the light from the window would be reflected back on the food.  Here is an example of what I am talking about from expert photographer and blogger Helene of  Tartlette.  Notice the white board in her fourth picture.  I just need to get one for myself.  My new blog look is still in the works.  Son Michael is doing it in his spare time, so I will have to be patient. 

But you don’t have to be patient waiting for this soup to cook.  It comes together quickly and tastes like it cooked for hours.

BEEF STROGANOFF SOUP

1 1/2 to 2 pounds top sirlion steak or roast cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup dry sherry
2 to 3 cups beef broth
1 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 to 2 cups medium egg noodles
1/2 cup heavy cream
Sour cream and snipped chives for garnish

Melt butter and oil in heavy soup pot.  Add beef cubes in two batches and cook until nicely browned.  Add the chopped onion when you add the second batch of beef.  Return reserved beef to pot and add the sherry to the mixture.  Stir to deglaze the pan and cook over medium high heat until the sherry has reduced.  Salt and pepper the beef to taste.  Add the beef broth, water and Worcestershire sauce to pan.  Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until beef is tender, about 30 to 45 minutes.  Add the noodles to the pot and simmer until they are cooked through.  Add the cream to the mixture and stir and cook until it is warmed through.  Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and snipped chives.

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