Philadelphia Cheesesteak Soup

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small carrot, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 tbsp. + 2 tbsp. l. flour
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 0.5 tsp hot sauce
• 6 cups lightly salted chicken broth
• 2 soft hoagie buns, cut into 1cm cubes.
• 200 g of grated cheddar
• 200 g of grated provolone
• 450 g thinly sliced ​​beef steak or flank steak
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced ​​pickled pepperoncini peppers
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley + extra for serving

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery seed, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add 1/3 cup flour, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, toss the bread cubes on a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 7 minutes; set aside.
4. Blend the soup until smooth. Return it to the saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Combine the cheddar, provolone, and the remaining 2 tablespoons flour in a bowl; slowly whisk the cheese mixture into the soup until all the cheese has melted. Blend the soup again until smooth. Pour it back into the saucepan and bring to a simmer; remove from the heat.
5. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 3 minutes. Add the pepperoncini and parsley, season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with the beef, croutons, and fresh parsley.