Venison Soup is what I make when I’ve got a freezer full of tough cuts, like shanks, necks, shoulders, or trim. Three hours in the pot with bacon fat, red wine, and barley turns those cuts into the best comfort food bowl of the season. It’s one of the easiest and most satisfying wild game dishes you can make.
Quick Look: Venison Soup Recipe
- Ready in: About 3 hours from start to finish. Most of the time is hands-free, with a quick check from time to time.
- Serves: 4 hearty portions
- Calories: 1073
- Main ingredients: Venison stew meat, smoked bacon, mushrooms, root vegetables, fire-roasted tomatoes, red wine, and pearled barley.
- Cook method: Seared and simmered low on the stovetop in a Dutch oven for about 3 hours. Slow cooker instructions included.
- Why this version works: Bacon fat and a sear give lean venison the richness it doesn’t have on its own, and the barley goes in at the end so it stays chewy instead of mushy.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
I created this recipe around the beef and barley soup that most of you grew up on, then elevated it to something special. While the mushrooms, bacon, and red wine help create a top tier restaurant-quality flavor profile, there’s an often-overlooked step. And that step is searing the meat to build an extra layer of flavor. This may seem like an obvious thing to do with a venison roast, but I highly recommend it for most of my venison stew meat recipes as well.
I like to sort the meat out for soup and stew recipes during butchering day. When I break down a deer, the shanks and neck go in a pile that most hunters often grind. These are exactly the cuts that make this soup worth the three hours of patiently waiting. I’ve served this to my family more times than I can count, and it’s fed a lot of hungry folks at camp.
If you’re looking for more soul-warming dishes for deer season, check out my complete collection of venison soup recipes.
Why This Recipe Works
- Bacon fat adds what deer meat doesn’t have. Deer meat has almost no fat of its own, so searing it in rendered bacon fat adds fat, smoke, and richness from the start.
- The sear builds the base. Browning the venison leaves a layer of browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. That’s where the flavor of this soup actually comes from, which is why you want to scrape the pot as you’re cooking the vegetables.
- Red wine and fire-roasted tomatoes balance the meat. Venison isn’t usually gamey, but when it is, it’s nice to have something to cut through the taste. The tomatoes’ natural acid and sweetness help tame those flavors. My French venison stew also does this.
- The carrots and barley go in last. Adding them at the start means mush by the time the meat is tender. Holding them until the final 45 minutes keeps the carrots firm and the barley chewy.
- A low simmer is what makes lean meat tender. Boiling tightens venison and reduces the broth too fast. Kept at a slow simmer for two hours, the connective tissue breaks down, and the meat falls apart when pressed with a spoon.
Notes on Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Venison Stew Meat: You can use diced venison round steaks, or any cut that has a fair amount of connective tissue. Venison shanks, shoulders, and necks all fall into this category. Just be sure to de-bone them for easy cooking. Mixed packages are fine here as long as the pieces are all cut to similar sized pieces. If you’re looking for a soup or stew to make using ground venison, try this hamburger stew instead.
- Bacon: Use smoked and thick-cut bacon. We’re really after the bacon fat to use for searing the venison. Cook it slow and pull it before it crisps.
- Red Wine: A dry red with structure, like a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot both work well. You don’t need an expensive wine (under $12 a bottle is fine). Avoid using “cooking wine.” If you prefer to skip the alcohol, use an equal amount of stock plus a tablespoon of red wine vinegar. Red wine compliments venison more than you would think. I even use it to make a big pot of venison sloppy joes.
- Barley: Use pearled, not hulled. Pearled cooks in about 45 minutes and gives the soup its body, while hulled takes twice as long and wrecks the timing. As a note, barley is not gluten-free.
- Stock: Homemade venison stock is also a big upgrade here. If you’re using boxed broth, make sure to buy low-sodium and check before adding salt until the end.
Substitutions and Additions
- No Bacon: You can leave out the bacon for this soup, but it greatly enhances the soup’s flavor. If you leave it out, use 3 tablespoons of olive oil in place of the bacon fat to brown the venison. If you want added flavor but don’t like bacon, try adding a cup of diced andouille sausage with the carrots.
- Using Other Meats: Swap the venison for other game such as wild hog meat, bear, or wild turkey. You can also use beef and lamb.
- Leeks: If you’re not a fan of onions, using leeks has a milder flavor. You will need about 3-4 medium leeks.
- Swap the stock: Although I’m not the biggest fan, chicken or beef broth can be used in place of the venison broth.
- Worcestershire Sauce or Vinegar: Add more savory flavor with a dash of Worcestershire sauce, or a bit of acidity with red wine vinegar. Add these to taste at the end of cooking, just before serving.
- Swap the Barley for Potatoes: Leave out the barley and add 2 pounds of Yukon Gold or red potatoes, cut into ¾-inch cubes, along with the carrots during the last 30 to 40 minutes of cooking.
- Swap the Barley for Egg Noodles: Skip the barley and cook 8 ounces of wide egg noodles separately. Add them to each bowl when serving so they don’t turn soft in the leftovers.
If you’re looking for a hands-off venison dish, try this slow cooker venison stew instead! It’s perfect for those days you don’t have time to stand over the stove.
How To Make Venison Soup
1. Render the Bacon Fat: Cook the bacon gently to render the fat. There’s no need to brown it. We just want the delicious smoky fat.
When the bacon is cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the pot and set aside. Leave the bacon grease in the pot for searing the venison.
2. Sear the Venison: Add the venison to the pot and season it with salt and pepper. Sear the deboned meat in the bacon fat on all sides until well browned. When ready, remove from the pot and set aside.
Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to brown the meat in batches. This step is the key to adding more flavor to the venison soup.
3. Sweat the Vegetables: Lower the heat and add the vegetables (minus the carrots) to the same pot. If it seems a bit dry, you can add a tablespoon of olive oil.
Cook for 6 minutes while stirring occasionally and scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
4. Cook the Meat Until Tender: Add all the venison to the pot along with everything else except the carrots and barley.
Cover and bring to a slow simmer. Cook for two hours until the meat is fall-apart tender. Avoid a full boil; you should only see slow, small bubbles.
5. Add the Carrots and Barley: Place the carrots and the barley in the pot. Cover and cook until the carrots are just cooked through. Add a little more stock or water if you’ve lost some liquid during the long cooking time.
6. Season and Serve: Remove the bay leaf and sprigs of thyme, and season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with a crusty bread or baked homemade Parker rolls.
Chef Tips & Troubleshooting
- Leave the silverskin. You don’t need to remove the silverskin from the meat. It breaks down during the cooking process adding body to the broth.
- Skim the first foam. Right after the pot comes up to temperature, gray foam will collect around the edge. Take it off with a spoon. It’s protein coming out of the meat, and leaving it in gives the broth a muddy, slightly livery taste.
- Salt the broth at the end, not from the start. Between the bacon, the stock, and three hours of reduction, these flavors concentrate. Pull the bay leaves and thyme stems, then taste and season. If you salt at the start, you’ll need to add water to fix it at the end.
- Taste for acid before you reach for more salt. If the soup tastes flat, it usually needs a splash of red wine vinegar or a squeeze of lemon. If it still tastes flat after that, try adding a little salt.
Venison Stew FAQs
What are the Best cuts for venison soup?
Use stew meat from any cut with a fair amount of connective tissue. Venison shanks, neck, shoulder, or venison round steaks all work here. Don’t worry about pulling from one package. I’ll often make this with whatever’s left from a few different cuts, and it turns out better for it.
The only thing that matters is that everything goes in at roughly the same size, 2 to 3 inches, so the pieces finish tender at the same time. A pot with big chunks and small scraps mixed together will leave you with some meat falling apart while the rest is still tight.
Can I make venison soup in the slow cooker?
Sure! Sear the venison and sweat the vegetables on the stove first. It’s important you don’t skip that for convenience, because the browned bits in the pot are most of the flavor. Move everything except the carrots and barley to a 6-quart slow cooker, run it on low for 6 hours, then add the carrots and barley and cook for 2 more hours.
Why is the venison in my venison soup tough?
Almost always one of two things: the soup was boiled instead of simmered, or it didn’t cook long enough. When you boil, the cooking liquid reduces too much before the meat has a chance to become tender. Keep it at a low simmer with the lid on.
The other cause is from not cooking long enough. Tough cuts like shank and neck pass through a stage where they feel tight before the collagen breaks down, usually around the two-hour mark. If your venison is semi-tough at two hours, give it another 45 minutes to 1 hour. If the meat is really tough, another 1.5 to 2 hours.
What’s the best way to store leftover venison soup?
Cool it down and refrigerate it in a covered container for up to 3 days. It’s genuinely better on day two once the flavors settle. For longer storage, it freezes well for up to 3 months. The one thing to watch is the barley, which keeps absorbing liquid as it sits. So leftovers will be noticeably thicker than when it was made fresh.
Reheat gently on the stove below a boil and stir in a cup of stock or water to loosen it back up. If you know a batch is headed for the freezer, leave the barley out entirely and cook it fresh when you reheat, since frozen barley goes soft and loses its chew.
What to serve with Venison Vegetable Soup
This is a filling bowl of soup, so I often eat it with light sides or something acidic.
- Bread for the bottom of the bowl. A crusty loaf or a skillet of Southern pan fried cornbread for a side that’s perfect for dipping in the broth.
- Something acidic on the side. Bread and butter pickles, pickled mushrooms, pickled red onion, homemade sauerkraut, or a vinegar slaw. The soup is rich from the bacon and wine, and a little bite between spoonfuls keeps it from wearing you down. A green salad with a sharp vinaigrette works too.
More Venison Recipes
Below are some of my favorite best venison recipes to eat once the temps start to drop in the Fall.
Tried this Recipe? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love to hear from readers! And if you have any cooking questions or want to share your latest food photos, give me a shout on Instagram at @larry__white.
Venison Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds venison stew meat, 2 to 3 inch pieces (see above for cuts)
- salt and ground black pepper
- 4 slices smoked bacon, chopped
- 2 cups diced onion
- 2 cups diced carrots, 1/2 inch
- 1 cup diced celery, 1/2 inch
- 2 cups button or cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, (preferably fire roasted)
- 1 quart venison stock or chicken stock, 4 cups
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 cups pearled barley
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat renders. Remove the bacon from the pot and set it aside while reserving the fat in the pot.
- Increase the temperature to medium-high heat. Once the bacon fat starts to slightly smoke, add the venison and season with salt and ground black pepper.
- Cook the deer meat on all sides until it is golden brown. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium low. Add the onions, celery, mushrooms and minced garlic to the same pot. If the mixture seems dry, add a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Cook for 6 minutes while stirring occasionally and scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. This will take around 6 minutes.
- Place the meat back to the pot. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the carrots and barley.
- Cover with a lid and bring to a slow simmer. Cook gently for around 2 hours or until the venison is almost fall-apart tender.
- Add the carrot and the barley to the pot and cover with the lid. Simmer until the carrots are fork tender. Add a little more stock or water if needed.
- Remove the bay leaves and the thyme sprigs from pot. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with crusty bread and topped with sliced green onion.
NOTES
- Brown the venison in batches. Do not crowd the pot or the meat will steam instead of sear. You want real color on the venison before it goes into the long simmer.
- Cook the bacon gently. Render the bacon fat first, but do not brown it hard. That fat is there to build the base for the soup.
- Wait on carrots and barley. Simmer the soup with everything else first for about 2 hours, then add the carrots and pearled barley once the venison is almost fall-apart tender. This keeps the barley from blowing out and the carrots from turning mushy.
- Keep the simmer low. Cover the pot and cook at a slow simmer, not a hard boil, until the meat is tender. Add a little more stock or water later if the barley tightens the soup too much.
- Use the slow cooker if needed. Follow the recipe through the searing and vegetable steps, then transfer everything except the carrots and barley to a 6-quart slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. Add the carrots and barley and cook about 2 hours more.
- Season at the end. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs, then taste and adjust the salt and black pepper before serving.
- Make ahead works well. The soup can be made up to 3 days ahead and reheated gently on the stove. It also freezes for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
1 thought on “Venison Vegetable Soup”
Mighty fine with this cold front rolling in.