Soups

Nostalgia: Beef Barley Soup

My Mom’s Beef Barley Soup is packed with so much goodness. The veggies, the meat, the barley, the broth – total comforting perfection. This is the perfect time of year to make this soup. Enjoy!

Beef Barley Soup

Recipe by Susan LeiserCourse: SoupsCuisine: Italian AmericanDifficulty: Medium
Servings

8-10

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 

15

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped

  • 2 celery stalks, chopped

  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 3/4 cup mushrooms, chopped

  • 1 small potato, peeled and chopped

  • 1 (14-oz.) can chopped tomatoes

  • 6 cups water for soup

  • 2 beef bouillon cubes

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 1/2 tsp. oregano

  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning

  • 1/4 tsp. salt for soup and 1/4 tsp. salt for barley

  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper

  • 1/2 cup dried pearl barley

  • 4 cups water for barley

Directions

  • Place a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add olive oil and beef cubes. Brown on all sides, about 7-8 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.
  • In same pot over medium heat, add onions, celery and carrots. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaves, oregano, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir.
  • Add mushrooms, chopped potato, chopped tomatoes and juice, 6 cups of water, bouillon cubes, and cooked beef to the pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer partially covered for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
  • Meanwhile, in a small pot add 4 cups water, 1/4 tsp. salt and dried barley. Cook as per package instructions (about 30-40 minutes). Drain well.
  • Add cooked barley to soup pot. Simmer for 5-10 more minutes.
  • Remove bay leaves. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. If soup is too thick for your liking, add more water as desired.

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