Grandma's Prune Soup (NE) Recipe

2 pounds beef chuck roast
Salt and pepper, to taste
Canned beef broth
4 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup quartered prunes
1 cup raisins
Cider vinegar

Wash the beef and place it in a 4-quart saucepan, generously covering it with water. Add salt and pepper. Over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 2 hours, until the beef is tender. Remove the beef from the broth, and place it on a platter to cool. Skim the fat from the top of the broth. Reserve 1 1/2 quarts of broth. (If there isn’t enough, add canned beef broth.) Trim and chop the beef into bite-sized pieces. Discard any bone.
Place the beef back in the pot with the potatoes, onion, prunes, and raisins. Add extra beef broth if needed to keep the liquid level to at least 1 1/2 quarts. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, until the vegetables and beef are very tender. Adjust the seasonings at this time. Serve in bowls with hearty bread. Use the vinegar as a condiment.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Tips From Our Test Kitchen:
This outstanding German stew should be called Grandma’s Delight! The seasonings can be adjusted by adding a bit of garlic or more salt and pepper. Experiment with different vinegars. Pear and balsamic are good choices.