We had a bit of a cold snap recently so I had the chance to make another couple batches of soup. Something I haven’t made in a really long time is vegetable barley soup but I wanted to make it ahead of time and serve it as a quick weeknight dinner so I decided to experiment!
1/2 stew beef, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrots
1 clove minced garlic
4 cups beef stock
1 can (14oz) stewed tomatoes, cut into pieces
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 package frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 cup uncooked barley
Cook the barley according to package directions. Set aside and store in a container until you’re ready to serve the soup.
In a Dutch oven, heat some olive oil and brown the beef (working in batches in you need to so the meat isn’t too crowded. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and sauté until they’re tender. Add the garlic the last couple minutes the veggies are cooking. Add the stock into the pot, making sure to scrape up any browned bits of deliciousness in the pan. Add the Italian seasoning, bay leaves, and the frozen vegetables. Give it a dash of salt and pepper and let everything simmer for about 30-45 minutes (or until the veggies are cooked and the meat is tender). Remove the bay leaves then cool and refrigerate.
When you’re ready to serve it, just add the cooked barley to the soup and heat. Keeping the barley separate helps make sure that all the liquid in the soup isn’t absorbed by the barley until you’re ready to serve.
What’s your favorite soup? May you enjoy it in good health and surrounded by those you love!
Eat well friends!
With Love From My Kitchen 