What is better on a cold winter’s night that a steaming bowl of soup? Along with crusty bread, a glass of red wine and a roaring fire I can’t think of a better way to end a chilly day! There is just something so intrinsically cozy and homey about soup; this time of year I make a batch at least once a week, and today I’m excited to be joining my home-loving friends Mary Ann of Classic Casual Home, Annie of Most Lovely Things, Cindy of Rough Luxe, and Celia of After Orange County to share a few of our all time favorite soup recipes with you.
For a substantial dinner that even my teenagers enjoy and find satisfying, this hearty beef and barley soup is a winner!
Barley is an excellent source of fiber and can help lower cholesterol, aid in weight loss and keep blood sugar in check, but it’s the STEAK in this recipe that my family really loves. It’s flavorful and tender even after reheating! Best of all, this recipe makes a ton so there’s enough for lunch the next day or two. Mark and I both work from home most days and get pretty fired up about leftovers!!
Good leftovers call for a quick lunch date!
This rich and hearty beef and barley soup is simple to make and definitely a crowd pleaser, plus your house will smell so good! Affiliate links are included in this post for your convenience. Read more about affiliate links here.
Hearty Beef & Barley Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon or so of olive oil (I just swirl in the pan and estimate)
- 2 lbs. petite sirloin steak
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 2 carrots or 1 cup baby carrots, diced
- 4 medium cloves of garlic, pressed or finely minced
- 64 oz. beef stock (or beef bone broth)
- 2 springs fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
- 8 oz. (1 cup) beef stock if reheating
Directions
- Cut the steak into 2″ chunks with the fatty rind on. Season generously with pepper and lightly with the salt (stock or broth is usually on the salty side so go sparingly on it here).
- Heat a dutch oven (see note below) or stockpot over medium-high heat and add olive oil. When the olive oil shimmers a bit, add the steak in an even layer and sear for 1-2 minutes until browned, then turn over and sear the other side for 1-2 minutes until browned. Transfer to bowl.
- Add the onion, celery and carrots to the pot and saute 4-5 minutes, scraping up browned bits, until the onion starts to become translucent, then add the minced garlic and stir. Add a bit of olive oil to the pan if the veggies are sticking to the bottom.
- While the veggies are cooking, transfer the steak to a cutting board, reserving juices, and slice into bite sized pieces (1″ or less), trimming off the fat as you go.
- Add the beef stock, thyme, bay leaf, barley, chopped steak and reserved juices to the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the barley is tender.
- Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve with a really good bread to soak up all that goodness (we cannot resist the White Mountain bread at our market when it is still warm upon our shopping trip!!)
Notes
- Searing the steak creates so much flavor, and keeping the pieces rather large then chopping them after makes turning them over in the pan quicker and easier!
- I have used leftover beef tenderloin and pot roast to make this recipe. A lot of beef and barley soup recipes call for stew beef or other cuts of beef that require a lot of simmering to make the meat tender. By all means if you have this in your fridge or it’s on sale, give it a try. Depending on the cut of meet it might require a longer simmer time to tenderize the meet. However, the petite sirloin that this recipe calls for was recommended to me by my market’s butcher (Erlande!! He’s the best!) for it’s flavor and tenderness in stews and soups. It’s more expensive than stew beef but is a tastier cut of beef and makes the cooking time shorter. The steak definitely elevates this soup to a tender, flavorful level of deliciousness that will have you making it again and again!
- If you have finicky eaters, chop the vegetables very finely. After rough cutting veggies I often mince them finely with a food chopper or food processor and they are not as distinguishable in a soup. I am unashamed to say I hide vegetables in food I cook to get some wholesome goodness into the picky eaters in my house!
- The barley absorbs a lot of the liquid if it sits for a while before being served or is refrigerated. Add more beef stock as need when reheating, bringing to a boil and then turning down to a simmer before serving.
Dutch Ovens and Why You Need One
Do you have and use a dutch oven? Dutch ovens are hailed by many chefs as one of the most essential and versatile kitchen tools because you can do everything in them from braising meat to simmering stew and even baking bread. They can go from stovetop to oven and a good dutch oven will last for years. I typically use my 6 quart enameled dutch oven for soups and everyday cooking. The light colored enameled interior gives me the ability to really keep an eye on how brown veggies or meat are getting while they cook, and I often sear meat on the stovetop then throw it in the oven to roast while I finish up the rest of dinner.
The Le Creuset line of dutch ovens is probably the most well known and coveted brand, and they are excellent quality, but don’t fret if it’s not in your budget. Both Epicurious and Bon Appetit highly recommend the Lodge dutch oven that I have and love – it’s is a fraction of the cost of the Le Creuset version, has fantastic heat distribution, is extremely durable and comes in all sorts of pretty colors (I have the blue one – be careful if you order, some of the colors are more expensive than others!) Check them out Amazon if you’re a Prime member, or try Target if you like to take advantage of your Red Card 5% off like I do (Target only has red or blue though). This is definitely one of the most used items in our kitchen!
Don’t Miss These Soup Favorites Too!
I am so looking forward to reading the other soup posts today, don’t they sound amazing?
After Orange County • Bread and Cabbage Soup with Sage Butter
Classic Casual Home • Healthy Roasted Red Pepper Soup With Parmesan Crostini
Most Lovely Things • Homemade Tomato Soup – Two Ways
Rough Luxe • Mexican Street Corn Chowder
Many thanks to Mary Ann, Annie and Cindy for inviting me to join their monthly series along with Celia!
I hope these recipes warm your heart and home this winter my friends!
xo
You can find some items from this post here.
classiccasualhome says
I LOVE the idea of having great leftovers! I’m going to make this when we are all gathered at my mom’s house. SHE will love it and we all love steak (and my kids actually like vegetables, too so I might do it a little chunky). It’s awesome. Thanks for doing this with us!!!
Lisa says
Mary Ann the beef & barley is so satisfying – it truly does keep us feel until the next meal which is miraculous for me! I loved reading about all these great soups and can’t wait to try your red pepper and parmesan crostini!
After Orange County says
Hi Lisa, your soup looks so darn yummy! I am a honest to goodness barley lover. There is something so satisfying about the texture and nutty goodness of barley that I am always looking for new ways to add it to my cooking repertoire. I had no idea that it was actually so healthy too! And my husband is a lover of steak, so I’m sure he will approve of this recipe as well. Can’t wait to make it!
Lisa says
Celia you are inspiring me to find new ways to use barley! I love that nuttiness too!
annie says
Lisa, this looks and sounds so amazing! And love the idea of using petite sirloin to make sure it is extra tender. Our family only likes steak that’s like butter. I think this will be a big hit at our house! I love beef & barley soup, but I can’t think if I’ve ever made it! That’s about to change!
cynthiahattersley says
Oh boy my husband is going to be all over this one. He loves steak. I think it is hard to find interesting beef soup recipes. This one sounds like a keeper to me. I can’t wait to try all of these soups. They all sound amazing. Thanks so much for joining us Lisa we always enjoy having you!
Sandra Sallin - Apart From My Art says
Now this is a soup I know my husband would love. What in the world is a Petite Sirloin? I wonder if my local market will know what it is. This is a definite winner.
Debbie - MountainMama says
That was one of the meals my mom made frequently – beef barley soup. She’s not a cook by any stretch, but she made that pretty well! I love, love, love my LeCreuset dutch oven – I have the large one and also a smaller one, for when I’m making a smaller soup or rice pudding.
Lisa says
I am using my dutch oven more and more Debbie, it’s so great for braising! I just saw a red LeCreuset at Marshalls and was tempted to get a second one!
Robin says
Will definitely be trying this soup – maybe this weekend when the snow hits MA. My son gave me the Lodge Dutch oven for Christmas and I have used it about 10 times already! Kind of bummed that it’s red as it doesn’t match my kitchen at all but it’s so useful I can overlook that. Can’t believe after 28 years of marriage and cooking, I’ve never owned one.
Lisa says
Hi Robin, that was a sweet gift for your son to give you (I’m sure it benefits him when you make delicious meals he can partake in!) No matter the color I’m sure it will be put to good use through the years!!
Michele Mitchell says
Made this last night. It was so delicious. It reminded me of the steak soup I used to get at the Balck Angus resturant. I added slices of mushrooms to your receipe. It was a hit. Thank you. 🙂