Hearty Beef and Barley Soup (Print Version)

A warm, nourishing blend of beef, barley, and vegetables simmered to rich perfection.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 ½ lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 large onion, diced
04 - 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
05 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
08 - 1 cup frozen peas
09 - 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juices

→ Grains

10 - ¾ cup pearl barley, rinsed

→ Liquids

11 - 8 cups beef broth
12 - 1 cup water

→ Spices & Seasonings

13 - 2 bay leaves
14 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
15 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
16 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
17 - 1 ½ teaspoons salt, or to taste
18 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add beef cubes and brown on all sides for about 5 minutes. Remove beef and set aside.
02 - In the same pot, add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes until softened.
03 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Return the browned beef to the pot. Stir in diced potatoes, diced tomatoes with juices, rinsed pearl barley, bay leaves, dried thyme, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper.
05 - Pour in beef broth and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
06 - Add frozen peas during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
07 - Remove bay leaves. Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one pot, so cleanup is just one soapy sink at the end of the night.
  • The barley thickens the broth naturally, giving you that stick-to-your-ribs texture without flour or cream.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day when all the flavors have had time to settle in together.
02 -
  • Don't skip browning the beef, those caramelized bits on the bottom of the pot are half the flavor.
  • If the soup gets too thick as it sits, just add more broth or water and warm it back up.
  • Barley keeps absorbing liquid even after you turn off the heat, so leave the soup a little looser than you want it.
03 -
  • Let the beef come to room temperature for fifteen minutes before you sear it, it browns faster and more evenly.
  • If the soup tastes flat at the end, a tiny squeeze of lemon juice will wake everything up without tasting citrusy.
  • Don't lift the lid too often while it simmers, every peek adds five minutes to the cooking time.
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