Beef and Barley Soup

Dish up a hearty bowl of comfort on a chilly day with this simple recipe for Beef and Barley Soup.  This filling, and tasty dish is a cross between a soup and a stew and it’s perfect for melting away the chill on those coldest of days.

It was a cold and rainy day yesterday and there is almost nothing better on a rainy day than a hearty bowl soup.

This simple recipe cooks low and slow making the beef unbelievably tender. I add the vegetables in stages to make sure none of them end up too soft.  There’s nothing worse than a bowl of mushy vegetables.

I remember as a child going to a friend’s house and having beef and barley soup.  I walked into the house and the whole place was filled with this amazing aroma of home cooked soup.

I couldn’t wait to dig in and when I did, the only things left in the soup with any texture were the beef and the barley.  Even as a child, I knew this wasn’t the way it should be.

I never forgot that soup and when I started cooking myself, I learned from it.  There are 45 minutes between the first batch of vegetables and the second so there’s no hassle and believe me, it’s worth it.

This soup is a flavorful, delicious soup that the entire family will enjoy on those cold and rainy days that just need a dish like this.  Enjoy!

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Beef & Barley Soup

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Servings 4

Author Erren

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 lbs stewing beef cubed
• 2 medium onions sliced
• 2 garlic cloves chopped
• 3 stalks of celery sliced
• 4 carrots sliced into chunks
• 2 bay leaves
• small bunch fresh parsley chopped
• 1/2 cup pearl barley
• 4 cups beef stock
• 6 medium potatoes cut into cubes

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large, oven safe pan over medium high heat.
2. Working in batches, brown the beef on all sides in the olive oil.
3. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon.
4. Add the onions, celery and herbs to the pan, then cook for about 5 mins until softened.
5. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
6. Return the meat to the pan, pour over the stock, then bring to a boil and then turn down the heat. Simmer for 45 minutes.
7. Stir in the barley, carrots and potatoes, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for another 45 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
8. Serve with crusty bread.