mirepoix

A Mirepoix is an essential flavor base made from humble vegetables such as onions, celery, and carrots. Fundamental to many classic soups, stew, and meat dishes find out how to make, and how to use, mirepoix and quickly take your cooking to the next level! 

Mirepoix Recipe

onions (chopped)

celery (chopped)

carrots (chopped)

olive oil

Prepare your vegetables. Trim the root ends and tips from the vegetables. Rinse and scrub the carrots and celery. Dry well. If desired, peel your carrots before chopping.

Chop your vegetables. The size you choose to chop your onions, carrots, and celery will vary depending on the recipe being prepared. However, as a general guideline: for sauteed recipes, chop small (¼-inch to ½-inch), for soups and stews, medium size (½-inch to 1-inch), and for stock, broth, or blended soups, larger size (1-2 inches).

Cook vegetables over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil to a large skillet set over medium-low heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, mixing well to coat. Cook, stirring often, for 10-12 minutes, or until softened and onions are translucent. Adjust heat to prevent vegetables from browning (see notes).

A simple beef barley soup made in the instant pot (pressure cooker). The beef is tender, veggies are perfectly cooked, and the barley is al-dente. It's seriously the simplest, most delicious soup. And it's healthy too!

Comforting Beef Barley Soup (Instant Pot)

½ pounds stew meat, cut into 1¼ inch pieces

baby bella mushrooms, quartered

(just

garlic,

tomato paste

beef broth (or vegetable)

water

bay leaves

½ teaspoon EACH: dried thyme AND mushroom powder (opt.)

pearl barley,

potato,

SAUTE: Season the stew meat with a good...

SAUTE: Season the stew meat with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot or in the instant pot over medium-high heat. Add ½ the stew meat and brown on all sides for about 2-3 minutes total. Remove meat to a plate and repeat with the second batch and the second tablespoon of oil. Add the mushroom to the pot and brown the mushrooms for 1-2 minutes or until they start picking up the brown bits left behind by the meat. Remove the mushrooms to the same plate as the stew meat.

VEGGIES: If needed, add a little more oil...

VEGGIES: If needed, add a little more oil to the pot and the mirepoix mix. Cook the veggies for 4-5 minutes or until the onions soften and become translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds before adding the tomato paste and letting it brown for an additional 30 seconds.

INSTANT POT: Add the stew meat, mushrooms, bay...

INSTANT POT: Add the stew meat, mushrooms, bay leaves, dried thyme, mushroom powder, water, beef broth, and barley to sautéed veggies in the instant pot, cover and hit the manual button (high pressure), and cook for 16 minutes. Allow the pressure to release before removing the lid. Hit the saute setting on the instant pot, covered (use the IP lid and just place it on top, don't lock.) Add the shredded potatoes allow the soup to cook for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. Season with additional seasonings to taste and thin soup with additional water or stock if it gets too thick. Serve warm with chopped parsley on top and a loaf of crusty bread or crackers.

SLOW COOKER: to make the soup in the...

SLOW COOKER: to make the soup in the slow cooker, add the softened veggies, stew meat, mushrooms, bay leaves, dried thyme, mushroom powder, water, beef broth, and barley to the slow cooker and allow the soup to cook on the high setting for 3 hours or on the low setting for 6 hours. Add the shredded potatoes to the slow cooker during the last 1 hour of cooking. Season with additional seasonings to taste and thin soup with additional water or stock if it gets too thick. Season with additional seasonings as desired. Serve warm!

A tasty and hearty bean and vegetable soup medley made simple in a pressure cooker, featuring navy beans, onions, celery, carrots, and potato.

Instant Pot Navy Bean Soup

dry navy beans

onion (chopped)

carrots

potato

Tbsp minced garlic (5-7 cloves)

thyme leaves (1 tsp dried)

tsp cumin

½ tsp crushed red pepper

Umami Vegetable Broth

Tbsp light or white miso paste

Tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

parsley

salt and pepper

Soak the beans in water overnight, or for at least 8 hours.

Rinse the beans in water, set aside.

Using the sauté function in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, sauté the vegetables and potato for 3-5 minutes.  Add a little broth or water, if needed, to keep from sticking.

Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 additional minute.

Add in the thyme, cumin, bay leaves, crushed red pepper, rinsed beans, and 4 cups of vegetable broth and/or water. Stir to combine.

Lock the lid and ensure the sealing knob is turned to “sealing” or “closed”.  Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.  Allow the pressure to release naturally, about 20-25 minutes.

Remove the lid.  Remove the bay leaves and stir in the miso paste, lemon juice or vinegar, and 1 cup of broth and/or water. Add in more water, if desired.  The more you stir this soup, the more the beans and vegetables break down and blend.  If you prefer a creamier soup, blend with an immersion blender for 20-30 seconds. Alternatively, remove 1-2 cups of soup and blend until smooth in a blender or food processor, then return to the pot and stir in to combine.

Ladle in bowls and serve with fresh parsley and a drizzle of vinegar or lemon juice, as desired.

Soffritto is the base for a lot of Italian sauces, like bolognese sauce. Try it!

Authentic Soffrito Recipe

Carrot

White onion

Celery

tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

glass White wine

With a sharp knife, finely chop or mince the onions, carrots, and celery. Try to cut the vegetables with uniform sizes to ensure even cooking.

In a pan, heat up some extra virgin olive oil.

Once it’s hot enough, add the chopped onion. Sauté for a few minutes.

Then, add the carrots and celery. Sauté for about 5 minutes.

Add the white wine, and sauté for 10 more minutes, or until the vegetables turn golden.

Top 4 mirepoix recipes from across the web

The most viewed mirepoix recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

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Mirepoix Recipe

Comforting Beef Barley Soup (Instan...

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Top 4 mirepoix recipes from across the web

The most viewed mirepoix recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Mirepoix Recipe

Comforting Beef Barley Soup (Instan...

Instant Pot Navy Bean Soup

Authentic Soffrito Recipe

The most viewed mirepoix recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine