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
- Carrots / Celery / Onions - Prep as directed and combine. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Pour stock and bay leaves over vegetables and add beef back to pan. Bring to a boil.
- 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.)
- 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.
- Divide soup between bowls. Enjoy with yogurt on top and baguette on the side.
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
42 reviews
Great 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.
0 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 HelpfulI subbed a mix of diced potatoes & parsnip as my starch. This was a great recipe! Really liked it.
0 HelpfulI would add a bit more barley next time, maybe 1/2 cup? Added extra carrots since I skipped the celery.
0 Helpful