Beef and Barley Soup
with celery / carrots / baguette
Hearty and comforting, this soup is full of classic flavors that hit the spot as the weather cools.
Smarts: This soup requires 60 minutes of hands-off simmer time to cook the pearl barley. If you are short on time, make the soup ahead (it reheats well), look for quick-cooking barley (Trader Joe’s sells one that cooks in 10 minutes) or use canned white beans as a substitute.
Ingredients
- Carrots - 6 oz, chopped
- Celery - 3 stalks, chopped
- Onions, medium - 1, chopped
- Beef stew meat - 1 lb
- Salt - 1 tsp
- Garlic powder - 1/2 tsp
- Thyme, dried - 1/2 tsp
- Red pepper flakes - 1/4 tsp
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Butter - 2 Tbsp
- Pearl barley - 1/3 cup (sub cooked white beans, using 3x the amount listed)
- Tomato paste - 2 Tbsp
- Flour, all-purpose - 2 Tbsp
- Stock, beef - 5 cups
- Bay leaves (opt) - 2
- Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp
- Yogurt, plain or Greek - 1/2 cup
- Baguette, small (opt) - 1
Nutrition Facts
Prep
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Carrots / Celery / Onions - Prep as directed and combine. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Season beef - Toss beef with salt, garlic powder, thyme and red pepper flakes. Tenderize with a fork. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
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Make
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Heat a Dutch oven with oil over medium-high heat. Add beef and saute until beef is brown on the outside, 7 to 8 minutes (don’t worry if it’s not cooked through). Set beef aside and return pan to heat.
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Add butter and then carrots, celery, onions and barley (if using beans as a sub for barley or using quick cooking barley, wait to add these) to melted butter. Saute until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and flour and cook for 1 minute more.
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Pour stock and bay leaves over vegetables and add beef back to pan. Bring to a boil.
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Reduce heat and simmer, covered until barley and beef are both tender, ~60 minutes. (If using quick cooking barley, add it 10 minutes before the beef is finished.)
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Stir lemon juice (if using white beans as a barley sub, drain and rinse and then add to soup) into soup and season with some salt and pepper.
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Divide soup between bowls. Enjoy with yogurt on top and baguette on the side.
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
Most Helpful
This turned out great. Did in instant pot - followed directions as written. Deglazed with a bit of wine before adding stock and then did on manual for 30 minutes. Turned out a bit brothy since there is no evaporation but so tasty and the meat was so tender. Could reduce liquid or add more barley/veggies.
1 Helpful44 reviews
Kids loved this. Pulled leftovers from the freezer and they loved it again! Used extra barley like others recommended.
0 HelpfulGreat flavor. Overall was sparse though. We thought it could use more of everything to make it more filling/hearty - barley, carrots, celery, and beef.
0 HelpfulThis turned out great. Did in instant pot - followed directions as written. Deglazed with a bit of wine before adding stock and then did on manual for 30 minutes. Turned out a bit brothy since there is no evaporation but so tasty and the meat was so tender. Could reduce liquid or add more barley/veggies.
1 HelpfulI use roasted beef flavor Better than Bouillon instead of stock and it gives it such this such an amazing, rich flavor. I like a little more barley, about 1/2 cup.
0 Helpful