Savory Beef Barley Soup (Printable version)
A nourishing blend of beef, barley, and vegetables in a flavorful, hearty broth.
# List of ingredients:
→ Meats
01 - 1 lb beef stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
→ Grains
02 - 3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed
→ Vegetables
03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 1 large onion, diced
05 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
06 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 russet potato, peeled and diced
09 - 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
10 - 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
→ Liquids
11 - 8 cups low-sodium beef broth
12 - 2 cups water
→ Herbs & Spices
13 - 2 bay leaves
14 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
15 - 1 teaspoon dried parsley
16 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
17 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
# Directions:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef cubes and brown on all sides for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove beef and set aside.
02 - In the same pot, add onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables begin to soften.
03 - Add minced garlic to the pot and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Return browned beef to the pot. Add diced tomatoes with their juice, beef broth, water, barley, diced potato, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Stir thoroughly to combine.
05 - Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
06 - Remove the cover and simmer uncovered for an additional 20 to 30 minutes until beef and barley are tender and soup thickens slightly. Adjust seasoning as necessary.
07 - Discard bay leaves and serve the soup hot. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- One pot from start to finish—no fancy technique required, just honest cooking
- The barley gets wonderfully tender and chewy, adding texture that makes each spoonful satisfying
- It tastes even better the next day when all the flavors have gotten to know each other
02 -
- The barley truly needs to be rinsed before adding to the pot. This one step prevents the cloudy broth that makes people think you didn't know what you were doing. You do.
- If you've got a moment before serving, let the soup rest for 10 minutes off heat. The flavors settle and become more pronounced. It's like the difference between a song that's just started and one that's had time to breathe.
03 -
- Never skip the browning step. Those five to seven minutes of letting the beef develop a crust are what separate a good soup from one that tastes like something was missing.
- Taste your soup at the end and add salt gradually. It's much easier to season up than to oversalt something that's been simmering for ninety minutes.