Rich and hearty homestyle Beef Barley Soup! Made with nutritious whole grain barley, fresh veggies and a deliciously seasoned broth. Hearty, satisfying, and soul warming. This soup will help you survive a seemingly endless winter. 

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 lbs. beef stew meat (or other lean cut of beef), cubed

1 T. olive oil, more if needed

1/2 C. chopped or 1 small onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

16 oz. cremini mushrooms, chopped or halved,  (optional)

1 tsp. minced fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried

1/4 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste

6 C. beef broth

3/4 C. pearl barley

2 T. tomato paste

1/2 C. frozen peas

1/2 C. frozen carrots

What to do:

In a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.

Cube all of the meat and toss with a hefty pinch of salt and pepper. Add meat to the hot oil one batch at a time – you don’t want to over-crowd the bottom of the pan, or else the meat will steam itself instead of searing.

Sear the beef until well browned, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan, and repeat with another batch of meat. Continue until all of the meat is browned. Set aside.

Add onions, sauté until tender, next add garlic and sauté until fragrant, adding more oil if needed. Add the cremini mushrooms, thyme, the 1/4 tsp. salt and the 1/4 tsp. pepper. Cook until the cremini release their liquid and begin to brown, 4 to 5 minutes

Add the broth, barley, tomato paste, water, and the meat to the pot. Cover and simmer until the barley and meat are tender to the bite, 45 to 50 minutes. Last but not least add the frozen vegetables, heat through. Remove from the heat and let cool slight.

Christina’s Notes:

Add whatever vegetables that you have in the freezer, anything goes with this recipe.