Having worked in a few diners in my day, soups are a staple on most menus. I’ve made and served a lot of homemade soups. My Beef Barley Soup was a favorite.

I’m using beef stock instead of broth. The stock, compared to beef broth, adds real depth of flavor.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 3 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 13 minutes
Yields: 6 servings
Equipment: 1 (6-quart) saucepot, 1 (6-quart) Dutch oven, chef’s knife, cutting board

Ingredients for the Pearled Barley:
1 1/2 cups of pearled barley, uncooked
1 quart of chicken broth, unsalted
1 tablespoon of kosher salt
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Ingredients for the Barley Soup:
4 1/2 cups of Pearled Barley, cooked
2 pounds of lean ground sirloin (90% lean)
1 1/2 to 2 quarts of beef stock, unsalted
1 onion, 1-inch dice
1 cup of leafy-top carrots, 1-inch dice
1 cup of celery, 1-inch dice, including leafy tops
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
1 1/2 tablespoons of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly-ground
1 (15-ounce) can of fire-roasted tomatoes
Garnishes:
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly-grated
Italian flat-leaf parsley
Homemade Ciabatta Croutons

Instructions:
Start by adding chicken broth to a large saucepot. Add the barley to the chicken broth. Over medium-high heat, bring up to a boil. Add the olive oil and kosher salt. Stir, reduce the heat to low, stirring occasionally, and simmer the barley for 40-45 minutes or until the grains are tender but still chewy.

If any cooking liquid remains, pour the barley through a mesh sieve to drain. Pour the cooked barley into a large bowl.

In the meantime, in a large heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat, add olive oil. To the oil, add the diced onions, stirring frequently, and cook until they become translucent, 2-3 minutes. Next, add garlic, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and fresh-ground black pepper. Stir to combine.

Add the ground sirloin. Using a wooden spoon, break the meat up and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink, 7-10 minutes.

Next, add the carrots, celery, and fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juice, and stir to combine. Stir frequently and continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Add the beef stock. Add enough beef stock so that the liquid comes up to around 2 inches from the top of the pot. If you think you don’t have enough liquid, you can always add water.

Still, over medium-high heat, bring everything up to a bubble before reducing the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 30 minutes. At this point, add the cooked barley and stir to combine.

Continue to simmer for another 15 minutes. Turn the heat off and cover. The soup is ready. Garnish with freshly chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Wait! What about Homemade Ciabatta Croutons for the top? I just happened to have a nice baguette left over from yesterday. This bread will work perfectly for homemade croutons. All I did was slice the baguette on the bag, drizzle the slices with olive oil, dried parsley flakes, Kosher salt, and fresh-ground black pepper, and toast them off in the oven until golden brown. “Soups On!

There you have it, my Beef Barley Soup.

Note:
1) K-cal count does not include the Homemade Croutons.

2) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through a preferred online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/

https://lindalouhamel.com/2015/11/02/homemade-ciabatta-croutons/