Easy Beef Consommé
How to Make Beef Consommé – It’s wonderfully easy to prepare this classic French recipe for a clarified beef broth that is deeply flavorful and versatile!
What Is Beef Consommé?
Before diving into the delicious world of (easy) French cuisine, let’s first cover the basic “what is beef consommé?” question. The word consommé in French comes from the term for concentrated or completed.
So, what does that actually mean? Basically, beef consommé is a clarified version of condensed beef broth. It has less fat, but a stronger more intense beef flavor. It’s a great option for soups and dishes where you want the broth to be very clear (not opaque or cloudy), or when you want to give a recipe an extra beefy robust flavor. In fact, you can use consommé in any recipe where you would use beef stock or beef broth!
To get that iconic dark clear broth and complex taste in this Beef Consommé recipe, we use a combination of ground beef or veal, slowly simmered with egg whites and classic French mirepoix. This blend is strained to remove any impurities, so all that is left is a beautifully clear consommé ready to use in your favorite recipes.
Ingredients You Need
Like most French recipes, beef consommé is made with mirepoux – also known in French-influenced Cajun cooking as “trinity.” This is a simple combination of finely diced onion, celery, and carrots (or bell pepper in Cajun cooking). They are sautéed in a skillet, and together create a foundation of flavor that is vibrant, fresh, and earthy. Although it seems basic, it’s an absolute must-have for true French cooking!
Here is the full list of ingredients needed for this easy recipes:
- Beef stock – cold
- Lean ground beef – or veal
- Egg – just the whites (speaking of French cuisine, use those leftover egg yolks to make Steak Tartare and Chocolate Raspberry Pots de Creme)
- Onion – diced
- Tomato – diced
- Celery – diced
- Carrot – diced
- Seasonings – bay leaves, thyme, salt
Pro Tip: Other ingredients you can add to the beef consomme include beef bones, peppercorns, garlic, and other spices that will float into the raft.
How to Make Clarified Beef Stock
Place the beef stock in the refrigerator while you are prepping the vegetables. Finely diced the onions, tomatoes, celery, and carrots.
Set a 6 to 8-quart tall soup pot on the stovetop. (Leave the heat off.) Add in the ground meat and mirepoix (diced vegetables).
Add the egg whites to the pan.
Then add bay leaves, dried thyme, and salt.
Stir to combine until the egg whites are mixed throughout all the meat and vegetables. Then gently pour the cold beef stock into the pot. Stir well.
Get the Complete (Printable) Beef Consommé Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Turn the heat on medium-low. Continue to stir the mixture for several minutes until the liquid is hot and the consommé is about to boil. Then STOP stirring, and do not stir the pot again. Keep the beef consomme at a low simmer and continue to simmer for 90-100 minutes.
The egg and meat mixture will rise to the top and create a “raft” that collects debris and helps to clarify the consommé. Try not to disturb the raft. Sometimes it will stay in one whole circular piece, but sometimes it might break into several larger pieces. Just leave it alone and allow it to flavor and filter the consommé as it simmers.
Once the consommé has simmered for at least 90 minutes, place a piece of cheesecloth in a large mesh strainer. Carefully pour the consomme into the strainer to remove the raft and any other pieces that have loosened as it simmered. Discard the raft and herbs caught in the strainer.
Use immediately, or cool at room temperature.
Once the consommé has cooled, pour it into jars and store.
If you plan to freeze the consommé for later use, make sure to leave 1-inch of air space at the top of the jar to allow for expansion in the freezer.
Suggestions for How to Use Beef Consommé
Homemade consommé is terrific to use in any recipe that calls for beef broth! For deliciously deep flavor, add to any of these dishes:
- The Best Beef Stew
- Smoked Prime Rib with Au Jus
- Rustic Hungarian Goulash
- Tuscan-Style Beef Cassoulet
- Espagnole Sauce (Demi Glace)
- Instant Pot Italian Beef
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between beef consommé vs beef broth?
Beef broth is a savory liquid made with a combination of red meat and veggies. The ingredients are cooked together so that the liquid is infused with flavor; the remaining large pieces of meat and veg are removed before serving or preserving.
The beginning process for broth and consommé are similar. However, consommé also includes egg whites to create a “raft” to which the debris clings. Everything is poured through both cheesecloth and a metal strainer, so (ideally) there isn’t a single bit of debris remaining and all that remains is a completely clear liquid.
Can you eat consommé by itself?
Yes, you can. It is common to serve as a light and flavorful soup course for elegant multi-course meals.
Do you add water to beef consommé?
No. We only use cold beef stock in this classic recipe. You can mix in water to the concentrated liquid before adding it to recipes in place of regular beef broth, but it isn’t necessary to do so and this will greatly dilute the flavor.
How long does clarified beef broth last?
Store the room-temperature liquid in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 7 days.
It will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Looking for More Classic Must-Have Recipes? Check Out our Easy Recipes for How to Make:
Easy Beef Consommé
Ingredients
- 5 quarts beef stock cold
- 1 pound lean ground beef of veal or finely chopped beef or veal
- ¾ cup egg whites about 5 eggs
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced fresh tomato
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Place the beef stock in the refrigerator while you are prepping the vegetables. Finely diced the onions, tomatoes, celery, and carrots.
- Set a 6 to 8-quart tall soup pot on the stovetop. (Leave the heat off.) Add in the ground meat, mirepoix (diced vegetables), egg whites, bay leaves, dried thyme, and salt.
- Stir to combine until the egg whites are mixed throughout all the meat and vegetables. Then gently pour the beef stock into the pot. Stir well.
- Turn the heat on medium-low. Continue to stir the mixture for several minutes until the liquid is hot and the consommé is about to boil. Then STOP stirring, and do not stir the pot again. Keep the consommé at a low simmer and continue to simmer for 90-100 minutes. The egg and meat mixture will rise to the top and create a “raft” that collects debris and helps to clarify the consommé. Try not to disturb the raft. Sometimes it will stay in one whole circular piece, but sometimes it will break into several larger pieces. Just leave it alone and allow it to flavor and filter the consommé as it simmers.
- Once the consommé has simmered for at least 90 minutes, place a piece of cheese cloth in a large mesh strainer. Carefully pour the consommé into the strainer to remove the raft and any other pieces that have loosened as it simmered.
- Once the consommé has cooled, pour into jars and store. If you plan to freeze the consommé for later use, make sure to leave 1-inch of air space at the top of the jar to allow for expansion in the freezer.
Notes
Nutrition
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I’m new to this beef consommé and I’m very satisfied with the outcome! So yummy and flavorful.
If i had known how easy this is to make I would never buy from the store. The flavor is amazing! Thank you so much.
I am SO glad that I found this recipe! It has come in so handy and I’ve used it a ton now!