There are two levels of richness to be achieved in this soup. First the meat, soup bones and a mirepoix of vegetables (carrots, onions, celery, etc.) are cooked together to make a rich stock. The meat is set aside, the stock strained and the soup bones and cooked vegetables discarded. This takes some time – required slow simmering to extract all the flavor from the ingredients, but it can be done a day or more in advance. Then, a new harvest of vegetables is added to the rich, vegetable-flavored stock and cooked for a relatively brief period to retain their crispness.
The meat is either sliced and served as a separate dish, or cut into bit-size pieces and left in the soup. There is nothing inviolate about the list of vegetables. The season and weather will dictate which fresh vegetables will be included. The freezer, of course, has greatly extended the vegetable season, nevertheless, it is more economical (and more timely) to shop for vegetables in season when the low price reflects their abundance. This recipe calls for a great number of vegetables but an excellent soup can be made with only half that number. Certainly do not include any that you do not particularly care for.
This is the soup my Mother often made – cutting up the cooked meat to serve in the soup. The bones and meat give it a depth of flavor and heartiness that make it a perfect one-dish meal. For that reason, I think it is absolutely worth it to make the stock first, instead of using a canned or frozen stock – besides, that’s how you get the meat for the soup! I have been known to brown the bones in the oven (after blanching them) before making the stock, for an even deeper flavor.