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Beef and Barley Soup

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    All barley is high in fiber, but hulled barley is the most nutrient-dense. If you make this soup with pearl barley, use 2 cups water in step 4 and cook, covered, for 10 minutes in step 5.
    Martha Stewart Living, October 2011
    • Prep Time 40 minutes
    • Total Time 4 hours
    • Yield Makes 9 1/2 cups
      Serves 6
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    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 pound London broil, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
    • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
    • 1 large onion, chopped
    • 1 medium carrot, chopped
    • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
    • 2 tablespoons minced garlic (from 4 cloves)
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 3/4 cup dry red wine
    • 4 cups chicken stock
    • 3 cups water
    • 3/4 cup hulled or pearl barley, rinsed and drained
    • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
    • Garnish: grated fresh horseradish

    Directions

    1. Heat 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon oil in a medium Dutch oven or a large pot over medium-high heat. Season beef with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and brown on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.

    2. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil, and cook onion, carrot, and mushrooms until golden, stirring occasionally, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt.

    3. Add garlic and tomato paste, and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and add wine. Return to heat, and bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits from bottom using a wooden spoon. Cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

    4. Return beef to pot, and add stock and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

    5. Add barley, and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover, and cook until beef and barley are tender, 20 to 25 minutes more. Stir in parsley. Divide soup among 6 bowls, and garnish with horseradish.

    Recipe Reviews

    • shelleycooks
      20 Feb, 2012

      This was great and so rich! The meat was very tender and the whole soup was very flavorful. We did use beef broth b/c that is what I had. We didn't make any other alterations. We will certainly be making this one again.

    • tanababy
      19 Feb, 2012

      My picky toddlers ate this!! Excellent flavor. The recipe said 4 hours, but I made it in 2 hr 40 min. I used stew meat and it came out tender with excellent flavor. Will make this over and over.

    • ValBoerg
      11 Nov, 2011

      Excellent flavor, I think reducing the wine adds so much to the flavor of the soup. I didn't have barley, so I added potatoes in the last hour with the broth and water. I also used alot more carrots and added celery also so I would have more veggies and be a very hearty soup. Will definately make it again.

    • yummies
      1 Nov, 2011

      This a wonderful and child friendly soup, full of nutrition and easy to make. With the cooler weather upon us, we enjoy soups a lot.

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