Beef and Barley Soup

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I don’t know if this should be called a soup or stew. It is hearty and thick thanks to all that barley, but the base is just broth. Christmas dinner this year was a standing rib roast and we were left with a lot of leftovers. As I’ve mentioned before, I like to reinvent our leftovers, so this soup is perfect for that. If you don’t have any leftover beef, then it’s worth making from scratch.

Tips:

• This is a great recipe to double and freeze some. The barley does soak up the broth, but it doesn’t get mushy like pasta would, so just add some additional broth when you are ready to serve.

• Try to cut the veggies into a small dice to mimic the size of the cooked barley. I like to cut the beef larger so it doesn’t disintegrate into the soup while cooking.

• It’s important to trim the fat from the beef, especially if using leftovers. You just want a tender bite, nothing chewy from the fat. This also keeps the soup low on fat.

Beef and Barley Soup

Serves 6

PREP 20 minutes

COOK 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 pound chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (or your leftover meat)

4 carrots, peeled and diced

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup uncooked pearl barley

5 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth

2 cups water

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 bay leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil.

2. If using raw beef then add it to the hot pan in stages to brown the meat on all sides. Don’t crowd the pan. Set aside. If using leftovers, then wait to add the beef last.

3. Once meat is browned, add chopped onion and carrot to the pan with a dash of salt. This will help deglaze the pan and lift up all those tasty pieces of beef that stuck. Cook for about 10 minutes until the onions are translucent.

4. Stir in garlic, cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

5. Add tomato paste and cook for a few minutes, mixing the paste with the veggies. Add the barley and mix it into the tomato paste. Add remaining ingredients, including the beef. Bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer.

6. Cook the soup until the barley is tender about 30-35 minutes.

7. Discard the bay leaf prior to serving.