Best Beef and Barley Soup
Ingredients
- 1-pound stewing beef
- 1 tsp. salt, or to taste
- 1 tsp. pepper, or to taste
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp. olive oil, more if needed
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery, cleaned and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped, or 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 3 tbsp. tomato paste
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 3 cups water
- ¾ cup pearl barley (see notes)
- 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, 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.
- In a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil; add the beef to the pot and cook just until the meat starts to brown; about 3 minutes per side; this is better if done in 2 or 3 batches in order to not crowd the meat; remove the meat from the pot when done; set aside.
To prepare the mirepoix:
- In the same pot, where there should be a lot of brown bits on the bottom; add more olive oil, if needed; add the chopped onion, carrots and celery; cook the vegetables until soft; about 5 minutes; stirring occasionally.
To season and cook the beef:
- Add the garlic, oregano and tomato paste to the pot; stir well; 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; add the beef broth and water; season with salt and pepper; bring to a boil; turn down the heat to a medium; cover the pot and cook for about 30 to 45 minutes; stirring occasionally; continue to cook until the beef becomes tender and will melt in your mouth.
- Add the barley to the pot, cover and cook for another 30 minutes or until the barley is cooked through; make sure to stir occasionally so the barley doesn't stick; if the soup is too thick, add more water as necessary until the desired consistency is reached although the recipe is designed to render a thick soup.
To finish and serve:
- Remove the soup from heat and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
Pearl barley usually takes 25 to 30 minutes to cook; hulled barley usually takes 40 to 50 minutes; barley is cooked when it’s tender yet chewy; rf using hulled barley, add it before covering the pot and cooking the beef.
If barley is not available, use rice or couscous.
If made ahead of time, add the barley the day you serve.
This can be made in a crockpot; cook for either 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
Store leftover beef barley soup in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
Re-heat either in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, or on the stovetop over medium heat.
This recipe’s leftovers can be place in an airtight container and frozen for up to up to 6 months; when ready to use, first transfer the soup to the refrigerator to thaw overnight; then heat it up using your preferred method.
