Beef and Barley Soup is a great way to warm up on a cold day. And this soup is as satisfying as a meal: tender beef, hearty barley, lots of veggies, all in a savory broth. Serve with biscuits or freshly baked bread. Heaven!
Here’s a picture of what the Pacific Northwest looks like in the late fall. It’s my favorite time of year. I’m a homebody and the cool, rainy weather justifies my lifestyle – haha.
This soup is based off a Once Upon a Chef recipe. Everything she shares is a keeper!
Browning the Beef
The first and most important step for developing flavor, is to get a good sear on the beef. Heat a few tablespoons of vegetable oil in the bottom of a large stock pot and brown the cubed chuck on all sides.
Remove the browned beef from the pot and set aside on a plate.
Add the celery, onion, and garlic to the now empty pot. Turn the heat down to medium and cook the veggies until slightly softened. Be sure not to wash the pan first, all of the flavor left behind from browning the meat (also known as fond), will give your soup great flavor. If there is any black in the pan though, you will want to wash it. Burnt pieces of food left in a pan can impart a bitter flavor to the soup. What you’re looking for is a dark brown residue left in the pan.
Next add the tomato paste and stir until the veggies are coated (sorry, no picture!). And then add the broth and other liquids, including the reserved liquid from the beef, as well as the beef. Let this mixture simmer, covered for about 2 hours while the meat becomes fall-apart tender. At that point, add the carrots and barley, and cook one hour longer.
Favorite Beef Stock
Kitchen Basics is my favorite brand of beef stock. The salt content isn’t as high as many of the other brands, and the flavor is very close to homemade.
Pomegranate Juice in a Soup??
That’s right, pomegranate juice is a good substitute for red wine in soups! I don’t drink alcohol and so I don’t have any around for cooking either. I’ve looked for every possible substitution I can think of when cooking, and pomegranate juice works the best in this soup. If you do try this recipe with red wine though, I would love to hear how it turns out!
This soup simmers for about 3 hours total, so it’s a great meal to make on a day when you will be home for a longer stretch of time. With online school and work, we’re home a lot these days. Not much hands on time is required to make this soup, just an occasional stir while the beef becomes fall-apart tender. Enjoy!
Beef and Barley Soup
1 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1” cubes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, divided
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 large celery stock, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 cup pomegranate juice (or red wine)
8 cups beef stock (I like the Kitchen Basics brand)
1 1/2 cup water
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 cup barley, rinsed
5-6 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4″ rounds
Directions
eason the beef with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the bottom of a large stock pot. Brown the beef over high heat, until browned on all sides. Remove the browned beef from the pot and set aside on a plate. Add 1 more tablespoon of oil, along with the onion, celery, and garlic to the now empty pot. Cook veggies over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened (1-2 minutes). Add the tomato paste and mix thoroughly into vegetables.
Add the browned meat (with their accumulated juices), pomegranate juice, beef stock, water, bay leaf, thyme, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and let simmer for about 2 hours.
Add the barley and carrots. Simmer, covered about one hour, until the carrots and barley are tender. Remove bay leaf. Serve with biscuits, savory scones, or rolls.
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