Beef Barley Soup
Searing the beef first is the most important step - it creates a deeply browned crust that forms the rich, savory foundation of the soup's broth. Deglazing the pot with red wine lifts all those flavorful browned bits, ensuring they end up in the final dish.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ~1.75 lbs stewing beef chuck roast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- ~1 cup diced carrots
- ~3/4 cup diced celery
- ~3/4 cup diced yellow onion
- 4 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 cup dry red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot
- 5-6 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 2 bay leaves
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
- Fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Pat beef dry, season with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Sear beef in batches until browned, 1-2 minutes per side. Remove to plate.
- Reduce heat to medium, sauté carrots, celery, onion until soft, 5-7 minutes.
- Add garlic, cook 1 minute.
- Stir in tomato paste, cook 1-2 minutes until darkened.
- Add wine, scrape bottom, simmer until reduced by half, 3 minutes.
- Return beef to pot with Worcestershire, 5 cups broth, bay leaves, thyme.
- Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 4-5 hours until beef is tender.
- Add barley, simmer covered 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- Add remaining broth if needed, remove bay leaves and thyme stems.
- Season to taste and garnish with parsley.
Notes
Use chuck roast cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Pearl barley works best.