French Onion Soup
Vegetable Enriched Bloody Mary Beef Broth
Broth is a very popular food in peasant cultures. This is largely because it is the only source of calcium in A bloody mary is a drink made with vodka and tomato juice and a bloody bull is the same cocktail but with added beef broth. The flavor of tomatoes and the flavor of beef are really good together so this recipe for bloody mary beef broth blends tomatoes with beef and some other ingredients for flavor, including garlic, parsley, and onion.
This is an unusual beef broth with a rich vegetable flavor and the sweet undertone of tomatoes. You can use this bloody mary beef broth to make a French onion soup recipe or as the base for any kind of onion soup recipe. This is one of our simplest beef broth recipes, since you just combine the ingredients, simmer everything together, and strain it at the end.
For a touch more sweetness, use Roma or plum tomatoes in this recipe instead of regular tomatoes and use a yellow bell pepper instead of the green one. This sweet beef broth recipe pairs nicely with the sweet caramelized onions in French onion soup and the tangy French onion soup cheese on top.
Easy Beef Broth with Tomatoes
Ingredients -
½ lb beef round
3 cloves garlic
1 soup bone
1 onion, quartered
6 cups water
1 sprig parsley
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon salt
3 tomatoes, chopped
Preparation:
Cut the beef into 2 inch cubes and put everything in a big casserole dish.
Let it stand for 30 minutes.
Bring the beef broth to a boil, turn the heat down, and let it simmer over a medium low heat for 2 hours, with a tight fitting lid on the pan.
Strain the broth and discard the solids.
(Makes 4 Cups)
Which Tomatoes to Use in Onion Soup
If you are going to make a French onion soup recipe with tomatoes or a bloody mary beef broth, you might wonder which tomatoes are the best to use. You can actually use any type of tomato in this onion soup recipe, although Roma tomatoes and plum tomatoes are especially sweet and juicy. Vine-ripened tomatoes are always the best to choose because they are much more flavorful than other tomatoes.
How to Choose Good Tomatoes
When buying tomatoes to use for making bloody mary beef broth, remember that the acid, aroma and flavor compounds are locked once the tomato is picked. This is why vine-ripened tomatoes are superior. The further tomatoes have to travel, the less likely they were picked when ripe, so always go for local produce. Your bloody mary beef broth will have a better tomato flavor if you use locally grown, vine-ripened tomatoes.