Mock Creole Turtle Soup
Submitted by Ronny
Rich Creole-style mock turtle soup with beef, tasso, and a dark roux, simmered until the meat melts into a spicy, tangy broth. Finish with hard-boiled eggs and a splash of sherry.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsDown in Louisiana, turtle soup is a grand tradition. This mock version swaps turtle for beef stew meat and delivers every bit of the soul that made the original famous.
A dark butter roux forms the backbone. Tasso ham brings the smoky heat. Chopped lemon adds a sharp, unexpected brightness that cuts through all that richness.
The whole pot simmers low and slow for about 90 minutes until the beef goes tender and the broth thickens into something deeply savory, with cayenne and white pepper keeping things lively on the back end.
Finish each bowl with chopped hard-boiled eggs, a scattering of green onions, and pass the sherry at the table. That’s how they do it in New Orleans, cher.
Pro Tips
- Cook the roux slowly and stir constantly until it reaches a medium chocolate brown for the deepest flavor
- If you can’t find tasso, substitute andouille sausage or smoked ham with a pinch of extra cayenne
- The chopped lemon (rind and all) is traditional and adds a unique bitter-bright note. Don’t skip it
- This soup gets even better overnight, so make it a day ahead if you can
Ingredients
Directions
Heat butter in heavy sauce pan, brown beef cubes and remove.
Add flour and cook while stirring until roux is medium brown.
Add onions, celery, carrots and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until soft.
Add meat and all remaining ingredients except eggs, green onions and sherry.
Stir to blend and simmer until meat is very tender, about 1½ hours, add a little water if needed during cooking.
Taste for salt and pepper and, if desired, Tabasco.
Add eggs and cook for 5 more minutes.
Garnish with green onions and pass the sherry.
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