Beef barley soup is a dish that originated in Europe during the 19th Century. As with a lot of recipes created during this time the ingredients used would vary depending on what was available at the time. The result is many variations of Beef Barley Soup with beef and barley being the one common thread. This dish is full and hearty, wonderfully satisfying on a cold winter day.
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Ingredients
- 2 lb Stewing Beef
- 2 tbsp Cooking Oil
- 1 Large Spanish Onion, Cut in Chunks
- 2 – 3 tbsp Garlic Minced
- 1 Large Can Diced Tomatoes
- 8 cups Beef Stock
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 2 tsp Italian Spice Blend
- 3 Carrots, Diced
- 3/4 cup Barley
How to Make Beef Barley Soup
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add beef and cover. Cook approximately 15 – 20 minutes or until beef is cooked through. Add onion and garlic, cover and cook another 10 minutes or until onion is soft.
- Add canned tomatoes and beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, Italian spices, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium low. Add carrots, cover and simmer approximately 1 hour.
- Add barley, cover and simmer approximately 1 hour.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.
- Adjust your quantities of all ingredients based on what you prefer to have more of in your soup.
How far ahead can you prep some or all of recipe
Leftovers
Beef Barley Soup makes a large pot of hearty delicious soup which is great as it can be refrigerated and used as leftover lunch or several dinners. This soup also freezes well and can be kept frozen for several months. I freeze my leftover soup in zippered freezer bags and lie them flat so they take up very little space.
Reheating Beef Barley Soup is simple and quick. I prefer to use a pot over the Stove, on medium heat bringing the soup back up to a boil. This I find keeps the heat longer and feels like its a freshly made pot of soup. It will take around 15 minutes.
If you don’t have the time to wait, you can place the soup in a microwave safe container and heat in 30 second increments, stirring between to ensure an even heat throughout the soup.
Beef Barley Soup
Equipment
- 1 Large Stock Pot
Ingredients
- 2 lb Stewing Beef
- 2 tbsp Cooking Oil
- 1 Large Spanish Onion, Cut in Chunks
- 2 – 3 tbsp Garlic, Minced
- 1 Large Can Diced Tomatoes
- 8 cups Beef Stock
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 2 tsp Italian Spice Blend
- 3 Carrots, Dice or Shredded
- 3/4 cup Barley
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add beef and cover. Cook approximately 15 – 20 minutes or until beef is cooked through. Add onion and garlic, cover and cook another 10 minutes or until onion is soft.
- Add canned tomatoes and beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, Italian spices, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium low. Add carrots, cover and simmer approximately 1 hour.
- Add barley, cover and simmer approximately 1 hour.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.
- Adjust your quantities of all ingredients based on what you prefer to have more of in your soup.
Notes
- Reduce the amount of beef stock and/or increase the quantities of ingredients added if you prefer a more thick, hearty almost stew like consistency .
- And of course do the opposite if you prefer thinner soup like consistency
