Hearty Winter Feasts: Inventive Ways to Use Organic Beef Soup Bones

As temperatures drop, it’s time to swap BBQs for beef stews. Although it might be the chill in the air talking, we’re partial to the rich heartiness that a comfort meal offers during the longer months. And what better way to create these meals than with organic beef soup bones? Today, we’re covering unique ways to incorporate soup bones into your winter meal rotations—with the added flavor and nutrition you need to stay fueled. 

Unique Recipes to Keep You Full this Winter 

While they’re not the usual cuts of beef we talk about, organic beef soup bones are particularly versatile and nutritious. Beef bones are full of essential nutrients like magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus, which play vital roles in muscle and nerve function, bone health, and tissue repair. What’s more, the collagen in bones turns to gelatin in the cooking process, which adds amino acids (a.k.a. the building blocks of protein) into your diet. Last but not least, the bone marrow found in these soup bones is chock-full of nutrients like zinc, fatty acids, iron, and vitamins A and K. 

Our favorite benefit is that adding soup bones to basic recipes brings the flavor complexity and richness to the next level. Unlike the name implies, you’re not just limited to traditional beef soup (although it makes a darn good one). These four meals (and bonus recipes!) are on our winter must-cook list. 

Sopa de Res (Beef Bone Soup) 

Starting with a classic is a must. Sopa de Res elevates the soup bone’s flavor with bright vegetables and aromatic spices. 

Recipe adapted from Dominican Cooking

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 2 lbs. Oreganic Stew Meat  
  • 4 Oreganic Beef Soup Bones  
  • 1 lb. red potatoes 
  • 1 lb. Kabocha or acorn squash, diced   
  • 1 cup celery, chopped 
  • 6 allspice berries
  • ½ tsp. oregano, dry and ground 
  • ½ tsp. cayenne 
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 3 sprigs cilantro, chopped
  • 1¼ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the stew meat and brown. Pour in 2 quarts of water, then add allspice, oregano, cayenne, garlic, salt, and pepper to the pot. 
  2. Add beef bones and boil until the stew meat is very tender, about 60-90 minutes. Add water as it becomes necessary to keep the same volume of broth.
  3. Add potato, celery, and squash. Simmer covered until vegetables are cooked through. At this time, you can remove the beef bones. 
  4. Remove from heat and serve immediately on its own or with bread to dip. 

Beef Pho

Warm and comforting, traditional pho is a sought-after Vietnamese dish for its richness and flavor. 

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs. organic beef soup bones 
  • 1 medium onion, unpeeled and halved 
  • 5 slices fresh ginger
  • 1 tbsp. salt 
  • 2 pods star anise
  • 2 ½ tbsp. fish sauce
  • 8 oz. dried rice noodles
  • 1 ½ lbs. Oreganic Beef Top Sirloin, thinly sliced 
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped 
  • 1 tbsp. green onion, chopped  
  • 1 ½ cups bean sprouts
  • 1 bunch Thai basil 
  • 1 medium lime, cut into fourths 
  • ¼ cup hoisin sauce 
  • ¼ cup Sriracha  

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 
  2. Add beef bones on a baking sheet and roast until browned, about 60 minutes. 
  3. Add onion halves to a second baking sheet and roast until soft and blackened, about 45 minutes. 
  4. Transfer the bones and onion to a large stockpot. Add ginger, fish sauce, star anise, salt, and 4 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 6 to 10 hours. Once done, strain the broth into a saucepan and set aside.
    1. Note: This step can be done in a crockpot if you can’t attend to the stove. 
  5. Place rice noodles in a large bowl and fill with room-temperature water. Let them soak for 1 hour, then drain. After noodles are cooked, bring the reserved broth to a simmer. 
  6. Divide the noodles among 4 serving bowls; top with sirloin, cilantro, and green onion. Ladle hot broth on top and let it sit until the beef is no longer pink about 1 to 2 minutes. 
  7. Serve with Thai basil, lime wedges, bean sprouts, hoisin sauce, and Sriracha on the side. 

French Onion Soup 

The classic, indulgent soup—made all the richer with soup bones—pairs perfectly with a crispy baguette and a medium-bodied red wine. 

Recipe adapted from Lindsey Eats

Ingredients

For The Stock

  • 2 lbs organic beef soup bones
  • ½ lbs organic stew meat (optional) 
  • 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
  • 4 carrots, roughly chopped 
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped with skin on 
  • ½ head garlic, halved with skin on 
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For The Soup

  • 4 tbsp. butter
  • 5 yellow onions 
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 sprigs thyme 
  • ¾ cup dry red wine 
  • 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 3 to 4 cups beef broth 
  • Salt, sugar, and pepper to taste
  • Topping: A mixture of Swiss, comte, and gruyere cheese and French baguette slices

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, lay beef bones on a baking sheet with olive oil, and roast for 30 minutes. 
  2. Add your beef bones to a pot with the celery, onions, carrots, garlic, stew meat, salt, pepper, and 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and skim off the fat. Let the bones and meat cook thoroughly to create your stock, about 45 minutes. Strain and set aside the beef and vegetables and discard the bones. Keep the liquid for your soup. 
  3. As this cooks, prep soup ingredients by thinly slicing all your onions. In a bowl, toss sliced onions with flour.
  4. In a Dutch oven, melt butter with a drizzle of olive oil, then add in your onions with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Caramelize for 5 to 10 minutes. Then, add thyme, bay leaf, and garlic and caramelize for another 45 minutes. Your onions should be a deep, golden brown color. 
  5. Add your wine and reduce for 15 to 20 minutes. Then, add your soup to oven-safe serving bowls, add a slice of bread, and sprinkle the cheese mixture on top. Broil until bubbly, about 10 minutes. 

Spicy Lentil Soup

Warming, comforting, and packed with protein, you can’t go wrong with this lentil soup. In fact, it might just be your new winter night go-to. 

Recipe adapted from Where Is My Spoon?

Ingredients

For the Beef Broth: 

  • 1 lb. Oreganic Stew Meat
  • 2 to 3 Oreganic Beef Soup Bones 
  • 3 to 4 bay leaves 
  • 10 black peppercorns 
  • 5 cloves
  • 5 allspice berries 

For the Lentil Soup: 

  • ¾ cups yellow split lentils 
  • 2 to 3 celery stalks 
  • 1 large carrot
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp. turmeric 
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. coriander 
  • ½ tsp. ground ginger 
  • ½ tsp. red pepper flakes 
  • ½ tsp. ground allspice 
  • 1 to 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar 
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste 
  • Parsley for garnish 

Instructions

  1. For the broth, place the beef, bones, peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, and allspice into a large soup pot. Cover with water (about 2 ½ liters) and slowly bring to a boil. Once boiling, bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 2 hours. Strain broth into another pot. Reserve the meat and discard the spices and bones. 
  2. Place the stock and meat back into the soup pot.
  3. Chop the celery, red bell pepper, carrot, and onion into small cubes. Add the vegetables, turmeric, ground ginger, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, and ground allspice to the beef broth and cook for 10 minutes. 
  4. Add the washed yellow split lentils and cook until soft, about 20 minutes. 
  5. Remove the meat from the soup and chop into small pieces. Add vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste. Dish into bowls, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve with bread of choice. 

Beef Stock or Demi-Glace 

In addition to the ultimate comfort recipes above, organic beef soup bones are an incredible base for beef stock or demi-glace. Make these recipes ahead and keep them on hand as a starter in gravies, chilies, soups, and sauces. 

Shop Organic Beef Soup Bones and More With Oreganic 

At Rocker 3 Ranch, we’re all about the “waste not, want not” lifestyle. In doing this, we respect the resources we have and find inventive ways to enjoy the products and dishes we love. Organic soup bones are the perfect addition to your winter meals—giving them depth and complexity but also utilizing fine cuts of beef down to the bone. 


Shop all Oreganic beef products on our online store.