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Beef consommé is a deep, flavorful, clear, delicious beef stock concentrated with the flavors of the beef and aromatics it is cooked with.
Strained until ultra clear, it is amazing served on it's own in a mug or with extremely simple ingredients to highlight the flavor of the broth.
The aroma of this consommé when cooking was absolutely incredible. And that flavor was seriously out of this world.
I had never made a consommé before, and only has the canned version. This is a game changer. I could not stop putting my head over the pot to sniff it.
And the flavor....oh my the delicious, concentrated flavor was just incredible. We sipped it alone and also had a serving with a simple bowl of noodles.
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What is Beef Consommé?
Beef consommé is a concentrated, clarified beef stock made with lean beef, carrots, onions, and other aromatics to make a very concentrated flavor. It dates all the way back to the middle ages when it was made for the wealthy.
It is typically actually served on it's own due to its deep concentrated flavor. It works great as an appetizer or starter to a meal.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Lightly simmering the stock allows the broth to become concentrated without getting cloudy or muddled.
- Using aromatics such as onion, garlic and thyme, as well as carrots, adds and amazing flavor to the consommé.
- Straining it multiple times results in this ultra clear liquid that is like gold.
Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and amounts is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Using the leanest ground beef you can find is absolutely necessary to get the clearest results. I do not recommend using anything below 93/7. If you can find leaner, even better.
If you use homemade beef stock, I recommend skimming as much fat off the top as you can. If you use store bought, try to get reduced sodium, or no sodium if you can. This allows you to adjust the salt to your own preference.
Step By Step Instructions
Whip the egg whites until frothy and set aside.
Combine the beef with all other ingredients (except stock) and mix well to combine.
Lightly mix in the egg whites and place the beef mixture flat on the bottom of a large stock pot.
Slowly pour the cool beef stock over the top and bring to a simmer. *As the ground beef mixture rises, make a hole in the middle for the steam to rise while it simmers.
Cover and simmer on very low (you never want it to boil) for 2 hours.
Remove the lid and carefully strain the consommé until clear (you may need to do it more than once).
Expert Tips
- As the beef "patty" rises to the top, make sure there is a hole in the middle or at the sides to let the steam escape.
- Make sure the consommé does not boil, only lightly simmers. Boiling will cause to much disruption and will cause a cloudy consommé.
- You will need a large stock pot capable of holding more than 20 cups of stock.
- You will likely need to strain it 2-3 times to get a nice clear, clean looking consommé.
Serving Options
Like we've discussed, this beef consommé is amazing served on it's own, and that is the traditional way to serve it. However, you can also try some of these serving options if you want to get creative:
- Serve it in cups garnished with fresh herbs (thyme, parsley, rosemary, etc.).
- Drizzle it with 1-2 teaspoons of sherry.
- Top it with shaved truffles (if you're a baller).
- Serve it with toasted pieces of baguette topped with Parmesan cheese.
- Serve it with meatballs (you can make these air fryer frozen meatballs and just omit the glaze).
- It's also sometimes served with fried balls of risotto. It would be a great way to use this leftover truffle risotto.
- It's also yummy to use as a dip for this sous vide French dip or this sous vide roast beef.
- Serve it alone with some cooked noodles such as ramen, soba or udon noodles.
- Add a few roasted vegetables in like this roasted frozen broccoli or roasted leeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Beef broth has a lighter flavor and color than consommé. It is not as concentrated and does not have the same flavor profile. Beef Consommé is made to have a more concentrated flavor of beef, onion, carrot and other aromatics.
Simply stated, you can substitute beef broth or beef bone broth for consommé, but you will not get the same rich, strong flavor as it is made differently.
Beef consommé is a very deep flavored broth and is actually best served on it's own due to it's string flavor. It is typically served as an appetizer/starter to a meal.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Store it in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Freeze it in 1 cup portions or even ice cube trays to make it more convenient to use.
If you love this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below and let us know your favorite thing about it. We'd also love to connect on Instagram! Follow us at @went_here_8_this for awesome recipes and all sorts of fun food stuff 🙂
Recipe
Beef Consommé
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef 93/7 or leaner
- 4 tablespoons egg whites or 4 egg whites
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon peppercorns
- 3 tablespoons minced onion
- 1 carrot minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt more if using unsalted stock
- 20 cups beef stock cooled
Instructions
- Whip the egg whites until frothy and set aside.
- Combine the beef with all other ingredients (except stock) and mix well to combine.
- Lightly mix in the egg whites and place the beef mixture flat on the bottom of a large stock pot.
- Slowly pour the cool beef stock over the top and bring to a simmer. *As the ground beef mixture rises, make a hole in the middle for the steam to rise while it simmers.
- Cover and simmer on very low for 2 hours. You NEVER want it to boil.
- Remove the lid and carefully strain the consommé until clear (you may need to do it more than once).
Expert Tips:
- As the beef "patty" rises to the top, make sure there is a hole in the middle or at the sides to let the steam escape.
- Make sure the consommé does not boil, only lightly simmers. Boiling will cause to much disruption and will cause a cloudy consommé.
- You will need a large stock pot capable of holding more than 20 cups of stock.
- You will likely need to strain it 2-3 times to get a nice clear, clean looking consommé.
Nutrition
Sue Bates
Never used beef consomme, always used beef broth. What a game changer. Thank you
S
Danielle
So glad you liked it!
sara
I was a little skeptical of the process as I've never made this before but it sure came out amazing! It was perfect to have with this cold weather!
Danielle
I'm so glad you liked it!