Beef Barley Soup
User Reviews
4.5
Beef Barley Soup
Description
The Beef Barley Soup starts by seasoning stewing beef with salt and pepper, then coating in flour before browning in batches in olive oil to create a caramelized crust. Using the pot's fond, onions, carrots, and celery are sautéed until softened, then garlic, oregano, and tomato paste are added and cooked briefly to bring out their aroma. Beef broth is used to deglaze the pot, incorporating browned bits into the soup base. The beef is returned, and a combination of broth and water is added along with pearl barley.
The soup simmers until the barley is tender but resilient, providing a slightly chewy contrast to the tender meat and softened vegetables. Fresh parsley is stirred in at the end for freshness. The soup offers a balanced richness with the hearty texture of barley and meat complementing the flavorful broth infused with tomato and oregano. This dish provides a filling, nourishing meal with varied textures.
Practical guidance notes indicate that pearl barley takes about 25-30 minutes to cook; hulled barley requires longer cooking time. Substituting barley with rice or couscous is possible. For freezing, removing barley and adding fresh barley upon reheating preserves texture. Adding ingredients like Worcestershire sauce, red wine, or Parmesan rind can deepen flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 pound beef stewing
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or more if needed
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 large carrot peeled and chopped
- 2 talks celery cleaned and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon oregano fresh, chopped (or 1 tsp dried oregano)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cups beef broth low sodium
- 3 cups water
- ¾ cup barley I used pearl barley, see notes
- 1 tablespoon parsley fresh, chopped
Instructions
- Season the stewing beef generously with salt and pepper. Place the beef in a ziploc bag and add the flour over the beef. Close the ziploc bag and shake until each piece of beef is fully covered in flour. You can also do this in a bowl.
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef to the pot and cook just until the meat starts to brown about 3 minutes per side. You will have to do this in 2 or 3 batches, since you do not want to crowd the meat. Remove the meat from the pot after you're done and set aside.
- In the same pot, you will have a lot of brown bits on the bottom. Add more olive oil if needed, then add the chopped onion, carrots and celery. Cook the vegetables until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic, oregano and tomato paste to the pot and stir. Cook for 30 seconds until aromatic. Add a bit of the beef broth to the pot to deglaze all the brown bits at the bottom. Add the meat back to the pot, then the beef broth and water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a medium, cover the pot and cook for about 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want to cook this for so long so that the beef becomes tender, it will melt in your mouth.
- Add the barley to the pot, cover it and cook for another 30 minutes or until the barley is cooked through. Make sure you stir occasionally so the barley won't stick. If you find that the soup is too thick add more water as necessary until you get the desired consistency, though this is quite a thick soup.
- Remove the soup from heat and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
- Pearl barley takes 25-30 minutes to cook; hulled barley needs 40-50 minutes and should be added before simmering the beef.
- If you can't find barley, rice or couscous can be used as alternatives.
- To prevent mushy barley when freezing, freeze the soup without barley and add freshly cooked barley when reheating.
- For added depth, consider simmering with Worcestershire sauce, red wine, or a Parmesan rind.
- Leftover soup should be stored airtight and consumed within 3-4 days.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 336 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 336kcal | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 32g | 11% |
| Protein | 22g | 44% |
| Fat | 14g | 22% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 52mg | 17% |
| Sodium | 835mg | 35% |
| Potassium | 902mg | 19% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 2274IU | 45% |
| Vitamin C | 6mg | 7% |
| Calcium | 62mg | 6% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.5
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