Beef and Barley Soup
Barley acts like a sponge, soaking up broth and releasing starch to turn a thin soup into a hearty gravy. I coat the beef in cornstarch before searing; this accelerates browning on the meat and provides an additional thickening agent that gives the final dish a glossy, stew-like consistency without needing a heavy flour roux.
Ingredients
Ingredients (~8 servings)
- 2 1/2 lbs beef chuck roast or stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion ~1 1/2 cups, diced
- 3 medium carrots ~1 cup, peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery ~1 cup, diced
- 12 oz baby bella mushrooms cremini, stems removed and diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 8 cups beef stock low sodium preferred
- 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking barley
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried sage or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Coat beef cubes with cornstarch, salt, and pepper.
- Sear beef in batches in olive oil until browned, about 4-5 minutes per batch.
- Remove beef and sauté onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms until softened.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Add beef stock, bay leaves, and seared beef.
- Bring to boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in barley, thyme, and sage.
- Simmer covered for 10-12 minutes.
- Season with black pepper before serving.
Notes
Use quick-cooking barley for faster preparation. Add water if stew becomes too thick.
Did you make this recipe?Let me know how you liked it below!