What is beef consomme?

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Beef consommé refers to a type of beef broth made from the traditional way of simmering various ingredients together to come up with a clear soup. Traditional beef soups and broth may have a similar flavor to a beef consommé soup but the difference basically lies in the way the soup was made and in the clarity of liquid. When beef is used in consommé, the resulting liquid will have an amber-like color.

Consommé soup has French cuisine roots and its traditional preparation is what makes it very special among food lovers and critics. With beef as its main ingredient and flavor, the consommé soup will require that beef meat be grounded and mixed with a variety of spices like celery, carrots, and leeks.  Egg whites and tomatoes are also traditionally added to the mixture which is simmered and stirred regularly. This process will basically help separate the impurities and solids from the clear liquid soup in beef consommé.  After the simmering process, the soup will then be filtered to ensure purity and clarity of the beef consommé.  Beef is often greasy when made into a broth and so parchment paper may also be used to help remove the fat oils and make the soup more clear and pure.

Once the soup is ready, beef meat especially the shin part may be added.  The whole dish is then served immediately to take advantage of the aroma provided by the steam from the hot soup.  In modern times, the traditional way of making beef consommé has evolved into the use of ready-made beef stock to become the soup base. Simmering is still done along with the use of spices and vegetables. The goal is still the same in the sense that a clear beef broth is desired. The process can still take quite a lot of time which is why some people may result to instant soup and broth recipes instead of making the traditional consommé.

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