Description
A complete, nourishing, and balanced soup featuring tender beef and soft barley, perfect for cool days.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds stewing beef, or chuck roast, cut into ¾-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 large onions, diced
- 4 large carrots, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 cups Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into 1-inch cubes
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth, or beef stock
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup hulled barley
Instructions
- Pat the stewing beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and black pepper.
- Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven set over high heat. Add the beef to the pot in a single layer (you may need to cook your beef in two batches) and cook just until the beef starts to brown on the outside, about 3-5 minutes.
- Once all the beef has browned, return all the beef to the pot, reduce heat to medium, and sprinkle with two tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Cook for about a minute, continuously mixing the beef to evenly distribute the flour. Remove the beef to a clean plate and set aside.
- Heat an additional tablespoon of olive oil in the same pot or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 10 minutes, scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- After the vegetables start to soften, add the cubed potatoes, minced garlic, minced fresh oregano, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Gently mix to combine.
- Return the seared beef back to the pot and add the beef broth, water, and barley. Mix well to combine and increase to high heat. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add bay leaves. Simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Once the vegetables are soft, the barley is tender, and the beef is tender, remove from heat and season with additional salt, pepper, and fresh oregano, to taste.
Notes
- This soup is excellent for meal preparation and tastes even better the next day.
- Scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pot adds deep flavor to the soup base.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 75 min
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Unsaturated Fat: 12
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 8
- Protein: 30
- Cholesterol: 85
Keywords: beef and barley soup, hearty soup, comfort food, nourishing meal, easy beef soup, homemade soup, fiber rich soup