Beef Barley Soup (Beef and barley soup)

Overview

Beef barley soup is a hearty American soup of tender beef, chewy pearl barley and vegetables in a rich brown broth. Cubes of beef chuck are browned well, then simmered with onion, carrot, celery, garlic, mushrooms and thyme in beef stock until the meat becomes soft. Pearl barley is added part of the way through and slowly thickens the broth as it cooks. A little tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce add depth. It is filling enough to be a full dinner with bread, and it reheats well, so it is a popular make-ahead winter meal and a common canned soup.

History

Barley has been used in soups in Europe since ancient times, and Scottish, Irish, German and Eastern European immigrants brought their barley soups to North America. In the United States beef and barley became a classic pairing in the twentieth century, served in diners and delicatessens and sold in cans. It remains one of the most popular cold-weather soups in American homes.

Main ingredients

Beef chuck, pearl barley, carrot, celery, mushrooms, beef stock. The soup is built on beef stock and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; not usually gluten-free.

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Recipe

4Serves

1h 50m20 prep · 90 cook

~430kcal / serving

EasyDifficulty

Method

1. 1

   Brown the beef in batches in a little oil, then remove.

2. 2
   6 min

   Cook the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and mushrooms for 6 minutes and stir in the tomato paste.

3. 3
   45 min

   Return the beef with the stock, Worcestershire sauce and herbs and simmer for 45 minutes.

4. 4
   40 min

   Add the barley and simmer for 40 minutes more until tender.

5. 5

   Season and serve with parsley.

6. ✓

   Serve. About 1h 50m from start to bowl.

Sources

• Barley soup (Wikipedia)

Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.