With the cold weather upon us, nothing beats a bowl of hot soup, like this delicious vegetable beef soup. This soup is a classic that never fails to satisfy. It’s got beef and an assortment of carefully selected vegetables. Pearl barley is included to add some additional texture and carbs. I love barley in my beef soup. The taste is clean and beefy. Homemade beef stock or beef broth would be absolutely ideal for this soup but they take time to make. But, no worries, a can of store-bought beef stock or even bullion cubes will do just fine.
This soup is comforting, yet lean and healthy. You must want to serve it with a slice of a crusty sourdough bread for the ultimate enjoyment and satisfaction. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
Finally, make sure to soak the barley overnight before making the soup. Soaking barley does not affect its cooking time, but it does make more nutrients available.
Vegetable Beef Soup (with Barley)
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean beef (e.g. sirloin, round, or trimmed chuck, cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
- 1/3 cup pearl barley (uncooked, soaked overnight in water if possible, but not absolutely necessary)
- 6 cups beef stock or broth
- 1 tsp Herbs de Provence (or Italian herb mix)
- 2 carrots (medium size, peeled and diced)
- 1/2 leek (cut in half and thinly sliced)
- 1 yellow onion (medium size, peeled and chopped)
- 2 ribs celery (sliced)
- Salt (to taste)
- Black pepper (to taste)
- A small bunch of fresh parsley (minced, for garnish)
- Crusty sourdough bread (to served with the soup)
Instructions
- In a medium or a large pot, bring the stock to a boil. Add the barley and the Herbs de Provence, lower the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the beef, along with the vegetables (carrots, leek, onion and celery) to the pot, bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat for about an hour, or until the beef and the vegetables are just tender.
- Remove any accumulated scum from the top of the soup. Using a paper towel, blot the surface of the soup to remote excess fat if desired.
- Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot with crusty sourdough breast and fresh parsley.
Nutrition
