Beef Barley Soup
Wholesome and tasty, Beef Barley Soup is an easy and filling one-pot meal made with tender beef, hearty veggies, and pearl barley.
Servings: 8
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 pounds chuck roast trimmed and cut into about ½-inch cubes
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup diced green bell pepper
- 2 large carrots sliced
- 2 stalks celery sliced
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 8 cups low sodium beef broth
- ½ to ¾ cup pearl barley
- chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Sear the beef. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven or a large soup pot set over medium-high heat. Add half of the cubed beef to the hot oil and cook for about 3 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Remove beef from the pot and set aside. Repeat the process with the remaining beef. Again, remove the beef from the pot and set it aside.
- Sauté the aromatics and veggies. Add the butter to the pot and melt it over medium-high heat. Stir in the chopped onion and parsley; cook for 1 minute. Stir in the peppers, carrots, and celery. Season with salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme, and cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds or until fragrant.
- Combine and cook. Add the browned beef back into the pot. Stir in the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Add the broth and bring the mixture to a steady simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and continue simmering for 45 minutes.
- Add the barley. Stir in the barley, cover, and continue to cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the beef is fall-apart tender.
- Finish and serve. Remove the soup from the heat. Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust accordingly. Ladle into bowls, garnish with parsley, and serve.
Notes
- Pat dry the meat: Give the chuck roast a good pat dry before you start the browning process to get a golden, crispy sear. This step is essential for developing those deep, savory flavors in the soup.
- Add veggies: Feel free to toss in extra veggies you have on hand, like diced tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, or even leeks, green beans, and English peas.
- Use ground beef: Swap out the beef cubes for ground beef, cook it for about 8 minutes or until browned, and skip the initial 45-minute simmer. You’ll have a tasty beef barley soup in no time.
- Finishes: Give your soup a moment to sit off the heat before diving in. Those extra few minutes allow the flavors to come together.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 543mg | Potassium: 952mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2891IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 3mg
