A Geller Classic, passed down from Grandma Martha, this is a perfect winter soup. It was by special request that I learned how to make it.
Hubby used to ask his grandma, “Could you make both chicken and porridge for Shabbos, so I can have a ladle of each in my bowl?” Now he tries the same shtick with me. I haven’t been daring enough to try the combination of the two−yet.
After cooking for 3 hours, the flanken gets so soft it just melts in your mouth. This hearty soup could be a meal with a nice, thick slice of challah.
Beef Porridge
Servings
6 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 2-pound flanken
- 1 large onion chopped
- 12 cups water
- 1 6-ounce package split pea soup mix with spice packet
- 1 6-ounce package barley and lima bean soup mix with spice packet
- 15 baby carrots
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 stalks celery cut in 1/4- inch slices
Instructions
- In a 6-quart stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Rinse meat and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place flanken and onions in pot and sear meat by cooking it over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until meat is lightly browned on both sides.
- Add remaining ingredients, cover and bring to boil. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface and discard.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Ladle into bowls and serve.
- If refrigerating overnight and reheating, you may have to add 1 to 2 cups of water and mix well to prevent burning.
- Recipe Courtesy of QUICK & KOSHER Recipes From The Bride Who Knew Nothing by Jamie Geller (Feldheim 2007) – BUY NOW
Can it be made in an instapot? If yes for how long, and any other adjustments that need to be made?
It should work great in an instant pot but I am sorry I don’t have the specifics.
can i freeze it
Yes. This dish freezes well.
I would say 3 ounces of quinoa which is about 1/2 cup.
But what are the quantities
Prepackaged soup mix is measured out.. how much if each including seasoning to sub?
Yes but since not prepackaged i need quantities….
You can replace the barley with quinoa but you would need to buy the beans and spices separately.
Can beef porridge be made gluten free?
If you are cooking for an extended amount of time like for Shabbat lunch I would err on the side of more water and keep it as is and really either way I think it is best to have more water, my crockpot always loses water.
It’s not ideal for a Shabbat lunch because it will cook so long and lose some of it’s flavor, but you can try it following the recipe with browning and all on the stove top and then transfer to slow cooker and set on low.
Thanks! Another question: because the soup cooks uncovered, it loses a lot of its water. In the crockpot, this won’t be the case. How much water should I add instead of the 12 cups?
How would I adapt this to be made in a crock pot for Shabbat lunch?
it’s really not hard at all to do it from scratch & the taste is way better than store bought!!! you really need to try it!! In fact the Kishe recipe was the last one my mother gave me before she died last year.
oh Annette – I am so sorry for your loss. It’s so special to have the recipes of our loved ones to help remind us of them. The smell, the taste – it’s all such a comfort.
thank you. but yes its so true. my kids talk about the turkey my mother in law AH used to make every Yom Tov. They always ask me to make it just like she did. But you are right – the smells, the taste – it brings it all back home.
Jamie – i am very into making everything I can from scratch or the old fashioned recipes. for instance, I make my very own fleishig Kishke (using beef or lamb fat), chicken shmaltz, greebin (aka “greevelach”), ptcha (aka galla, aka gallareiteh, aka “feeseilach”), chumus, techina, etc. as well as making all soups from scratch (trust me i do cheat & use the mixes when i need to)
WOWzers! You go girl!
Awesome – love the idea and know that my kids would just love it! And the grated carrots tip is totally awesome! I have recently been making this completely from scratch too – will share the from scratch version of this recipe soon.
YAYEEEEEEEEE!
i have also made this with cut up hot dogs to give it a more smoky flavor. comes out yummy. also have done it from scratch without the sleeves but use actual yellow & green split peas & sometimes barley. I also grate the carrots, so it can blend in better.
This recipe was outstanding. A real winner. Thanks for sharing!
Hey there so sorry it was too soupy — of course when it’s uncovered so much water evaporated and the soup thickens — the crockpot is another story — I will try it with half the water and bli neder report back with my results.
cool please do try it – also note that I sometimes use chicken legs in place of the flanken. as for the gluten, re the spice pack: you can use 12 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth or beef broth in place of the spice pack and water – that will give you plenty of flavor. As for the barley… you can just leave it out or use rice or buckwheat/kasha, or quinoa or gluten free pasta to bulk up the soup and make it heartier.
We tried this in the crockpot for Shabbos lunch but did not adjust the amount of water and it was way too soupy. Would love to hear if anyone has had success in the crockpot and if so how much water they used.
I’m certainly going to try this after the nine days! What would you suggest I substitute for the barley for a gluten free version? Also the spice pack often has gluten…what spices would mimmick it?
it is such a great combo – so happy you are so excited for it. come back and let us know how you loved it 🙂
This is interesting my mom did either the split pea or the barley but this would make a great cold weather soup…
As for the flanken, my butcher does korean ribs I’m going to ask him to save me some before he cuts it thin. I can almost taste it.
it should work both ways and is a great idea for a winter shabbos day meal!
Can this be made in a slow cooker (crock pot) or kept on a blech over night?
This recipe freezes excellently! Make a huge batch and freeze it in individual containers. Cubed stew beef is the perfect substitute here for flanken – it softens as it cooks and at a better price per pound it’s more economical and you will have more meat to go around. Enjoy!
hi! can I substitute the flanken with a different meat? (the flanken sold in the stores has very little meat on it!)
also would this recipe freeze well?