Beef & Barley Soup
utter perfection
I grew up eating this soup on cold winter nights, and it feels like home when I make it for my own little family. Noah said “yummy” and ate most of his bowl before asking for marshmallows (his current obsession), so I think he liked it? Anyway, it definitely hit the spot for me and Stephen.
If you need a shorter cook time, just throw the roast into a crock pot with the herbs, half of the salt, and a little bit of water, and cook on low all day. You can cook your veggies and barley on the stove while you’re cutting up the roast for a quicker turnaround.
Tip: if you hosted Thanksgiving this year and you’ll have dibs on the turkey leftovers, use them up by making our turkey & barley soup instead!
Beef & Barley Soup
Cook time: 60-90 minutes
Serves: 8-10
For Dietary Restrictions
Gluten free: use brown rice or potatoes instead of barley
Dairy free: this recipe is dairy-free
Kids Can Help
measure spices and barley, stir the soup, add the frozen vegetables
Ingredients
2 lb boneless beef roast (like bottom round)
9 cups of water
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 12 oz bags of frozen mixed vegetables
1 yellow onion
4 Tbsp (¼ cup) tomato paste
2-3 Tbsp beef bouillon paste (I like Better Than Bouillon)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup pearl barley
½ tsp ground thyme
½ tsp garlic powder
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt, or more to taste
Tools
Tea kettle or large pot
Large bowl, for setting aside the cooked meat
Cutting board (use one with a juice catcher if you have it!)
Chef knife
Large soup pot
Wooden spoon
Directions
Step 1
Bring 9 cups of water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut the beef roast into small cubes (about ¾ inch).
Step 2
In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pieces of beef in 2-3 batches. Sprinkle with salt and garlic powder. Brown the cubes on one side, then flip and brown on the other. Set aside before browning another batch.
Step 3
Once the beef has been browned and all set aside, turn the heat down to low. Mince the onion and add it to the pot with ½ tsp ground thyme. Stir and cook for 3-5 minutes until onion starts to soften.
Step 4
While the onion is cooking, make the beef broth by mixing the boiling water with 2-3 Tbsp of bouillon (to taste). (You should have 9 cups of broth; add water to bring up to 9 cups if you lost some to evaporation).
Step 5
Return the beef to the pot with the onions and add the tomato paste, bay leaves, salt, Worchestershire sauce, and broth. Bring the broth to a simmer and add the barley. Cover and cook for 45-50 minutes or until both the beef and barley are tender.
Step 6
Add the 2 bags of frozen vegetables and bring the soup to a boil again, then simmer for about 5 minutes until the veggies are cooked but still bright green. Serve immediately.