Beef Vegetable and Barley Soup

The other day, I just had a taste for some good old fashioned beef barley soup, and lucky for me, I found a really nice chunk of sirloin steak on clearance at the grocery store!

This hearty soup starts with browning up some cubed beef.  I used sirloin, but you could use round as well.  I think the sirloin gets nice and tender though, with less cooking time.

Once the cubed up beef is browned, it's removed and the vegetables get sauted before the liquid is added.  I used A LOT ( 1 lb.) of baby bella sliced mushrooms ( creminis ) because we LOVE mushrooms, but you could halve that amount if you are not a huge fan.  I like using the creminis in this recipe because the juice they are so "meaty" and they help flavor the broth.

Beef Vegetable and Barley Soup

from the kitchen of MKA

Printable Recipe

Servings - ( approx. 6 quarts ) 12   Serving Size - approx. 1 1/2 cups   Points Plus per Serving - 4 Points+ 

Calories - 190.8,   Total Fat - 3.9g,   Carb. - 21.7g,  Protein - 16g,   Fiber - 5.2g

12 oz. Beef, sirloin, cut into small cubes 

1 TBSP olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3 cups sliced carrots

4 stalks celery, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 TBSP. tomato paste

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup red wine

16 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms

2 - 32 oz. boxes of fat free beef flavored broth ( such as Pacific brand ) 

2 - 15 oz. cans of diced tomatoes

3/4 cup quick cooking pearled barley

10 oz. frozen peas

salt and pepper, as you like

1.  In large dutch oven ( I love my cast iron enamel coated one ), heat oil.  Season beef cubes with salt and pepper and brown in hot pan.  Once browned, remove and set aside. Leave heat on pan. 

2. Add onion, carrots and celery to pan.  Season with a bit of salt and pepper.  Saute until the onion starts to become translucent and the other veggies begin to soften.  Add in the garlic and saute another minute or so, until it becomes fragrant.  Add in the mushrooms and cook until they start to soften.  Stir in the tomato paste and allow it to coat the vegetables and cook a bit.  Add in the wine and stir, stirring up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan from the beef.  Add in the thyme and bay leaf. 

3.  Add in the canned tomatoes and both boxes of beef broth and add the browned beef cubes back into the pan.  Allow the soup to come to a boil and then turn down to simmer.  Simmer until the vegetables and the meat become tender.  ( I think I simmered for about an hour or so).  

4. Once the vegetables and meat are tender, stir in the barley and cook for another 15 - 20 minutes to allow barley to cook.  Once the barley is done, add the frozen peas and cook for another few minutes until they are done.  

5.  Remove bay leaf and discard.  Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.  

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This was yet another soup I was sad to see the last go.  I had it several times for lunch during the week and it tasted better each time.  Like most soups, this soup will taste better the next day once the flavors have had a chance to really meld together.  No matter how you look at it though, homemade soups are just sooooo much better than their canned counterparts!!! 

Like I said, you could substitute other cuts of beef if you wish, but keep in mind the nutritional information provided above are for beef sirloin and changing the cut of meat might change the PP value.  

It's going to be a busy week for me this week, as we are getting ready to celebrate my in-laws birthdays this weekend.  Hoping the weather will be nice all week so I can get walks in when I can!!  Looks gorgeous out today! Even though the weather is nice....I still think it will be "soup" weather for a little while yet.  I generally only make soup when it's cold out...how about you?  Do you only do soup in cold weather?