Beef Carbonnade Soup With Spatzle

Ingredients

3 lb beef
1 tb oil
5 c beef broth
4 c tomato juice
12 oz beer
1 c onions
1 c celery
2 ts chili powder
1 ts basil
3 garlic
2 bay leaves
1 c carrots
1 c green beans
1 1/2 c mushrooms
2 eggs
1 1/2 c flour
1/4 ts salt
1/8 ts nutmeg
3/4 c milk

Instructions

Brown meat in oil in soup pot. Add broth, juice, beer, onion, celery, chili powder, basil, garlic, and bay leaves. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer covered 2-3 hours. Add carrots and green beans and simmer until tender. Add mushrooms and spatzle and cook 10 minutes more. Noodles can be used in place of spatzle. SPATZLE: Beat eggs slightly. Combine flour, salt, and nutmeg. Beat eggs into flour mixture. Gradually add 1/2 c. milk, then add more milk a tablespoon at a time until the mixture is smooth, soft, and quite moist. Pour some of the batter into a colander and press it through the holes with a spatula into boiling salted water. Cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to soup.