Vegetable Beef Barley Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 1/2 lb beef chuck, cut in 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 8 cups beef broth
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 cups cut green beans (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• chopped parsley, to serve

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper and brown it in two batches, about 5 minutes each. Set aside.
2. Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook until softened, 8 minutes, scraping up the browned bits. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute.
3. Return the beef and add the broth, tomatoes, barley, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer gently 1 hour.
4. Add the potatoes and green beans and simmer 20 to 25 minutes more, until the beef, barley and potatoes are tender.
5. Stir in the peas for 2 minutes, remove the bay leaves, and season with salt and pepper. Serve with parsley and crackers or crusty bread.

TipBarley keeps soaking up broth in the fridge, so add a cup of broth or water when you reheat leftovers.