Beef Barley Soup
A hearty and comforting beef barley soup, perfect for chilly days.
Ingredients
Meat
- 2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast (cut into 1 1/2–inch steaks)
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
Vegetables
- 3 large carrots ((10 ounces; 280g), diced)
- 1 large yellow onion ((12 ounces; 340g), diced)
- 2 ribs celery ((6 ounces; 170g), diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
- 3 quarts chicken stock (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 cup pearled barley ((7 ounces; 200g))
- 1/2 teaspoon Asian fish sauce ((optional))
Seasoning
Instructions
- Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large pot over high heat until smoking, then brown beef on all sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter.
- Add carrots, onion, celery, and garlic to pot; cook until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Set aside.
- Add stock to pot, return to heat, and scrape up browned bits. Cut beef into chunks, add to pot with reserved bones and herb sachet. Simmer until beef is tender, 1 to 2 hours.
- Discard bones and herb sachet. Add barley, reserved vegetables, and fish sauce; simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- If soup is too dry, add water to achieve desired consistency. Serve garnished with parsley.
Notes
For extra flavor, use homemade stock if possible.