The Scoop
Stroganoff Soup combines childhood nostalgia and cooking tricks for warming apartment dinners.
When I moved into my first shared apartment, the kitchen was a sacred but chaotic space between my roommate and me. We didn’t cook much, given our tight schedules and tighter budgets, but one wintry evening changed that. Familiar with the cacophony of sizzling onions and the rich scent of butter melting on cheap electric burners, I decided to turn a simple supper into a cherished feast. Armed with a can of evaporated milk always lurking in our pantry and a pack of wide egg noodles—our staple carb—I embarked on crafting my version of a Stroganoff Soup.
The inspiration? A blend of nostalgia from the snowy days of childhood and the need for utensils other than a single wooden spoon. Thin strips of steak sizzled golden, mingling with chopped onions until the entire apartment smelled like we’d invited Julia Child over for dinner. I poured in the water and milk, watching as the tomato paste and bouillon added complexity. A stray can of mushroom stems, drained carefully to keep the broth vibrant, found its way into the pot, adding an earthy note.
Letting the steak mixture bubble away, my improvisation shone through a chef's trick I’d learned: stirring evaporated milk and flour into a smooth slurry before pouring it into the boiling soup. This lends it a luscious texture, catching every strand of egg noodle. A spoonful of sour cream on top created a perfect swirl—a nod to the comfort we sought that night. Whether through thyme's optional sprinkle or the satisfied smiles exchanged over our bowls, this soup solidified a rite of passage in learnings on warmth, nurture, and cohabitation.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound top sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups milk, 2% or whole
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
- 1 (8-ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups wide egg noodles, cooked
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- thyme, optional, to taste, minced
Directions
- In a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop, melt the butter.
- Cook the steak strips and the onions in the butter until the steak is nearly cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the water, the milk, the tomato paste, and the bouillon and stir to combine.
- Add the mushrooms, the salt, and the pepper.
- Bring the steak mixture to a boil.
- In a medium bowl, mix the evaporated milk and the flour until it is smooth.
- Slowly pour the slurry mixture into the steak mixture.
- Bring the steak mixture to a boil and stir until thickened, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the egg noodles and cook until heated through.
- Remove the soup from the heat.
- Top each serving with a dollop of the sour cream and the thyme, and serve hot!
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