Bean stew "Benrath style"

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 1 onion(s)
• 2 stalk(s) leeks
• 6 large carrots
• 1 small celeriac
• 2 parsley roots
• 2 bay leaves
• 12 peppercorns
• 1 kg runner beans
• 500 g peas, shelled or frozen
• 1 kg potatoes, mainly waxy
• 1 pack of tomatoes, pureed
• ½ cup cream
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 2 tbsp flour
• salt and pepper
• 2 kg beef soup meat or beef leg slice

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours 15 minutes

Trying to preserve a secret family recipe…

First, prepare the broth: Clean and finely chop 1 leek, 4 carrots, celery, and parsley roots. Rinse the meat. Halve the onion and fry the cut surfaces without fat. Bring the vegetables and meat to a boil with 3 liters of water, bay leaves, salt, and peppercorns, and simmer for 2 hours. In the meantime, clean and chop the beans. Shell the peas if necessary. Peel and dice the potatoes and the remaining carrots. Slice the second leek into thin rings. Chop the parsley. Strain the broth, remove any fat, discard the cooked vegetables, and slice the cooked meat. Bring the broth back to a boil, add the meat, beans, peas, and the remaining vegetables, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the passata, then whisk together the flour and cream, add it, and bring back to a boil. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and parsley. Serve with white or brown bread. The broth can be prepared the day before, making it easier to remove the fat the next day. Be sure to use meat on the bone for the broth. For a “luxury version,” you can discard the cooked soup meat (we would feed it to our pets) and dice, for example, 800-1,000 g of beef brisket, cook it in the broth, and then add the vegetables.