September 2024
With deer season on the horizon, I thought perhaps my readers would enjoy some ways to use venison. This recipe is the second in my fall 2024 venison recipe series. This makes 4-5 quarts depending on how many veggies you put in. It freezes well.
Ingredients for Hearty Venison Vegetable Soup. Makes 4-5 quarts.
1 lb ground venison
1 lb ground pork
4-5 slices of bacon. I like Wright's Hickory Smoked
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oilI
3 large carrots halved and sliced relatively thin
1 small celery heart diced, leaves and all.
1 each small zucchini and yellow squash quartered and sliced.
1/2 to 1 cup each assorted frozen vegetables. I like peas, beans, and corn. Okra is good too.
1-2 quarts beef stock
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 (26 ounce) can diced tomatoes.
4-6 ounces dry wine (red or white)
2 TBSP dried herb mix such as Penzeys Herbes de Provence
1 TSP sea salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1 parmesiano-reggiano rind (optional)
1-2 TBSP Williams Sonoma Beef Demi-Glace (optional)
First dice the bacon and brown it in a Dutch Oven on medium high heat. Remove the bacon and set aside. Add the olive oil, brown the ground pork. As the pork gets down, add the venison burger. To this you will add the diced carrots, onion, and celery. Turn the heat down to medium or slightly less. Cook until the vegetables begin to sweat and the onion starts to become translucent. Add the bacon back in.
Add the zucchini and other vegetables.
At this point, add all the liquid ingredients. Stir in the dried herb mix. Stir in the optional demi-glace and drop in the optional cheese rind.
After the entire mixture has heated through, turn the heat down to low and simmer at least until the vegetables are tender and the soup takes on a deeper, richer color. Serve this with bread. I like the potato bread in the photo. If there is interest in the bread recipe, send me a note and I will add it to the website.
Chef's Notes:
I have never used a recipe for this. I am providing it as a base for you to work from. Soup usually turns into something slightly different each time, depending upon what you have in the pantry.
The bacon and pork add some fat and flavor to the soup. We do not add ground pork to our venison when we grind it. It takes up space in the freezer and reduces the time the venison stays fresh tasting. If you do, then you can use 2 lbs of your mixture and skiip the ground pork. Do not skip the bacon...it really adds depth.
I buy the cheese rinds at Eataly in Chicago when I am there. They sell bags of them. I store them in the freezer and also use them in pasta sauce. Take the rind out of the soup and discard it before serving. If I buy a chunk of parmesan, I cut the rind off and save it for this purpose. I think it adds some richness to the mix.
Some people like the corn, peas, and beans less cooked. If that is your preference, add them about 15 minutes before serving, or pre-cook them and add them in just before serving.
If I have potatoes to use up, I dice them up and add with the rest of the veggies, This will add thickening.
The Williams-Sonoma demi-glace (I use beef) will add color and richness. It keeps in the fridge a long time. It is very thick and when refrigerated gets hard to get out of the jar. I pop it in the micorwave (without the metal lid) for a few seconds on low. That makes it easier to manage. It is expensive. A little goes a long way.
Sometimes I finish the presentation by drizzling a bit of EVOO and sprinkling some grated parmesan on the soup when I serve it.
I use a variety of dried heb mixes depending on my mood. They add a lot of additional flavor. Do not be afraid to experiment. If you do not have Herbes de Provence or Bouquet Garni, or one I really like, Parisien Bonnes Herbs, then use what you have. Thyme and Savory are a good basic start.
Good luck with this onel. I hope you enjoy this great way to use your ground venison.
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