My poor hubs has not been feeling 100% lately, plus it's been crazy cold...perrrrfect soup weather. So, I went on Pinterest {which has become my favorite place for recipes, if you're not on it, you should check it out!} and found this little gem of a recipe for beef and barley soup. I'd say it was a hit, because Andrew had 3 huge bowls of it!
I changed the recipe slightly to cater to my husband's liking. I added more meat, more barley, doubled the carrots, celery and potatoes, added peas and omitted the mushrooms. Okay.. maybe taking out the mushrooms was for me. I despise those slimy little things. But really the rest was for Andrew :) He likes really hearty soup {less broth, more substance} and this recipe is definitely a keeper.
ps. Check out our super adorable new plates I got from TJ Maxx for 4 dollars! They make perfect little charger plates for some added cuteness! I just love them! :)
Ingredients
450 g (1 lb) Striploin or Ribeye Steak, trimmed excess fat, cubed (about 1 ½-inch pieces)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 Large Yellow Onion, diced
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1 Pack (200g) Crimini Mushrooms, quartered
2 Carrots, peeled and diced
3 Ribs Celery, diced
2 Medium Potatoes, diced
1 Bay Leaf
½ Cup Barley
6 to 7 Cups of Beef Stock
Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over high heat. Brown the beef cubed in batches, and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium-high and melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic, and stirring frequently until it is golden brown. Mix in the mushroom, carrot, celery, potatoes, bay leaf, with a little salt and pepper. Continue to stir the vegetable mixture with a wooden spoon, for about 10 to 12 minutes. Then add the beef and 6 cups of beef stock and the barley.
Bring the soup to a boil, remove any impurities, and reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 1-½ hours. Remove the bay leaf and thin the soup with beef stock, if necessary. Season the soup with salt and pepper and serve warm with some chopped parsley.
Enjoy! :)
