Vegetable Beef Barley Mushroom Soup (Printable)

Tender beef and pearl barley simmered with vegetables in rich beef broth.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1.1 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

→ Grains

02 - 1/2 cup pearl barley, rinsed

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 large onion, diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, sliced
05 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
06 - 9 oz cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
09 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes with juices

→ Liquids & Seasonings

10 - 6 cups beef broth
11 - 1 bay leaf
12 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
13 - 1 teaspoon dried parsley
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Fats & Oils

15 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

# Directions:

01 - In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add beef cubes and brown on all sides, approximately 5 minutes. Remove beef and set aside.
02 - In the same pot, add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened.
03 - Add mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Return browned beef to the pot. Add diced potatoes, tomatoes with juices, pearl barley, beef broth, bay leaf, thyme, and parsley. Stir to combine.
06 - Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
07 - Check barley and beef for tenderness. Simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes more if needed, until barley is tender and soup has thickened slightly.
08 - Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf before serving.
09 - Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It transforms humble pantry ingredients into something that tastes like it simmered all day, even though it doesn't.
  • The barley absorbs all the beefy, herbaceous broth and becomes almost creamy without any cream at all.
  • One pot means one pot to clean, which feels like a small victory on tired evenings.
02 -
  • Don't skip browning the beef, even if you're short on time, because that caramelized surface is where most of the soup's depth lives.
  • Barley absorbs liquid as it cooks, so if your soup seems too thick at the end, thin it with a bit more broth rather than adding water.
03 -
  • Make a double batch and freeze individual portions, because having this soup waiting in your freezer feels like giving yourself a gift from the past.
  • Add the salt slowly at the end instead of earlier, because the broth concentrates as it simmers and becomes saltier on its own.
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