I love making a hearty soup on a cold winter’s day. This Beef and Barley Soup is easy, flavorful and really warms you up! I love it when my kids ask if I made this from scratch, and I can say “YES”!
Ingredients:
- 1 pound sirloin tip steak, cubed
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound carrots, sliced
- 1 can (16 oz.) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup barley (I used quick cooking)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
Preparation:
Place cubed steak and flour into a gallon-sized zip-lock plastic bag; close and shake, thoroughly covering steak with flour.
Heat olive oil in heavy soup/stock pot over medium heat. Add flour-covered steak to oil and brown meat. Add water to pot, covering the meat and let simmer until meat is tender (approx. one hour). Note: Do not drain off fluid – this is the homemade beef stock for the soup!
Add thyme, pepper, garlic, bay leaves, tomatoes, and carrots to pot (add salt, if desired). Simmer until carrots are tender (approx. 1 hour).
Add barley and let simmer until barley is cooked (with quick cook barley, takes approximately 20 minutes). Feel free to add 1/2 cup water if soup is too thick.
Serve with crusty bread!
Note: I let this simmer all afternoon, then add the quick cooking barley in the last half hour of cooking.