🥣 Beef Barley Vegetable Soup Recipe
🍽️ Serves: 6–8
⏱️ Total Time: 2 to 2.5 hours (hands-off after the initial prep)
🥩 Best Cuts: Chuck roast, stew meat, or leftover roast beef
📦 Ingredients:
For the Soup Base:
- 1–1½ lbs beef stew meat (cubed chuck or sirloin)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 2 ribs celery, sliced
- 1 cup green beans, chopped (optional)
- 1 large potato, diced (Yukon gold or red)
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 6–8 cups beef broth (low sodium preferred)
- 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
Optional Add-ins:
- 1 cup frozen peas or corn
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
- Dash of Worcestershire sauce or balsamic vinegar (for depth)
👨🍳 Instructions:
1. Brown the Beef
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Season beef with salt and pepper.
- Brown the beef in batches, turning to sear all sides (about 5–6 minutes total). Remove and set aside.
2. Sauté Vegetables
- In the same pot, add onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 4–5 minutes until softened.
- Stir in garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute.
3. Deglaze and Simmer
- Return beef to the pot.
- Add diced tomatoes (with juice), beef broth, thyme, basil, bay leaf, and barley.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until beef is tender and barley is fully cooked.
💡 Stir occasionally and add more broth or water if it thickens too much.
4. Add Remaining Vegetables
- In the last 30 minutes, add potatoes and green beans (or other firm veggies).
- In the last 10 minutes, stir in peas or corn if using.
5. Finish and Serve
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or a splash of Worcestershire sauce.
- Remove bay leaf.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired.
🥄 Serving Suggestions:
- Crusty bread or rolls
- Sprinkle of grated Parmesan on top
- Side salad
🧊 Storage:
- Refrigerator: 4–5 days
- Freezer: Up to 3 months (note: barley will thicken, so add broth when reheating)
