I am unsure of how to make Beef and Barley soup look presentable, but we really liked this soup no matter how it looks in photos. We watched an episode of Barefoot Contessa where Ina was making this soup for a firehouse. She actually used oxtails as her beef and then didn’t serve the soup with the meat. We thought that was kind of strange, so we used stew meat and definitely served it in the bowl.
The recipe was a good Sunday soup since it sits for a while and involves a lot of veggie chopping. It was a very well-rounded meal with a meat protein, barley and lots of vegetables. A win for a one-pot dinner!
Here are some step by step pictures with the recipe below.
1. Browning meat in a cast iron skillet.
2. Chopping veggies to add to soup.
3. Simmering the beef, broth and veggies together.
4. Barley cooks separately until water is absorbed, then added to soup pot.
Beef and Barley Soup
By Ina Garten
Ingredients
(below is her recipe that feeds probably 10 people. We roughly cut it down, especially in the broth doing about 6 cups. Otherwise, do about the same.)
1 tablespoon good olive oil
2 pounds stew meat (that’s really what it’s called)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
2 cups (1/2-inch) diced carrots (4 carrots)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup (1/2-inch) diced celery (2 stalks)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
3 bay leaves
10 cups canned beef broth
1 cup pearled barley
Directions
Beef and Barley Soup
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Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 2 hours
Total time: 2 hours 30 mins
Ingredients
Beef and Barley Soup
By Ina Garten
below is her recipe that feeds probably 10 people. We roughly cut it down, especially in the broth doing about 6 cups. Otherwise, do about the same.)
1 tablespoon good olive oil
2 pounds stew meat (that’s really what it’s called)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
2 cups (1/2-inch) diced carrots (4 carrots)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup (1/2-inch) diced celery (2 stalks)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
3 bay leaves
10 cups canned beef broth
1 cup pearled barley
Instructions
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Add the beef, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until browned all over. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and reserve.
Add the leeks, carrots, onion, celery, and garlic to the fat in the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until the vegetables start to brown. Tie the thyme sprigs together with kitchen string and add to the pot along with the bay leaves. Return the meat to the pot and add the broth, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Discard the thyme bundle and the bay leaves, and skim off the fat.
Meanwhile, bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add the barley. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, drain, and set aside.
When the soup is ready, add the barley and cook the soup for another 15 or 20 minutes, until the barley is tender. Depending on the saltiness of the stock, the soup might need another teaspoon of salt and some pepper.
I am unsure of how to make Beef and Barley soup look presentable, but we really liked this soup no matter how it looks in photos. We watched an episode of Barefoot Contessa where Ina was making this soup for a firehouse. She actually used oxtails as her beef and then didn’t serve the soup with the meat. We thought that was kind of strange, so we used stew meat and definitely served it in the bowl.
The recipe was a good Sunday soup since it sits for a while and involves a lot of veggie chopping. It was a very well-rounded meal with a meat protein, barley and lots of vegetables. A win for a one-pot dinner!
Here are some step by step pictures with the recipe below.
1. Browning meat in a cast iron skillet.
2. Chopping veggies to add to soup.
Beef and Barley Soup
By Ina Garten
Ingredients
(below is her recipe that feeds probably 10 people. We roughly cut it down, especially in the broth doing about 6 cups. Otherwise, do about the same.)
Directions