Slow-Cooked Beef Soup

So many soup recipes have hidden problem ingredients, but this recipe does not have onions or paprika, and common soup/stew ingredients that may be problematic for IC bladders. This hardy soup is great on a cold night with French bread. From icdietproject.com.

Slow-Cooked Beef Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. beef stew meat, cut in bite sized chunks
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 14-oz can beef broth (see note below)
1 cup water
1-1/2 cups baby carrots, cut in half
2 large boiling potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
1 cup frozen peas
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp. flour, cornstarch, or arrowroot
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1 pinch ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. orange extract (optional)
1/4 cup cold water

Directions:

In a brown paper bag or plastic food storage bag, shake beef chunks with the 2 tablespoons of flour to coat. In a large skillet, brown the beef in olive oil. Remove beef to the slow cooker. Add beef broth and 1 cup of water to the hot skillet, scraping up the browned bits. Pour into the slow cooker. Add carrots, potatoes, peas, garlic, and bay leaf to the slow cooker

In a small bowl or a cup combine the tablespoon of flour, the brown sugar, salt, allspice and ground cardamom. Gradually stir in the cold water and orange extract to make a smooth mixture. Pour over the meat and vegetables. Put the lid on and cook until meat is tender, usually about four hours if set on high. (Time may vary. Check the instructions for your slow-cooker and use the time recommended for soups or stews.)

Note: The kind of beef broth you use is very important– it needs to be free of monosodium glutamate (MSG). MSG is a common ingredient of most beef bouillon cubes and canned beef broth. Health Valley makes an excellent fat-free canned beef broth. The only drawback to the brand is that it contains a smidgen of white pepper. White pepper is milder than black pepper and the tiny amount in this soup is generally not a problem for most IC bladders. Those with oxalate sensitive vulvodynia may want to check it out carefully though.