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Bob's Beef Barley Soup

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Submitted by kolleen

Beef barley soup made from braised short ribs, canned tomatoes, pearl barley, and a load of carrots, celery, and bell pepper. The ribs simmer first to render rich beef flavor before the vegetables and barley go in.

YIELD

8 servings

PREP

10 min

COOK

2 hrs

READY

3 hrs

Beef barley soup the right way: short ribs simmer for an hour and a half before the vegetables and barley join the pot. That long head start is what builds the deep, gelatinous beef stock you can’t fake with bouillon alone, the marrow and connective tissue from the bones melts into the broth and gives the finished soup a silky body.

Using canned tomatoes with their juice is the smart shortcut here. They contribute acid that balances the rich beef and adds enough liquid to cover the bones during the long simmer. The Worcestershire sauce is doing umami work in the background, you won’t taste it directly but pulling it out leaves a flat broth.

Pearl barley absorbs broth as it cooks, so the soup thickens naturally without flour. Plan on this dish thickening even more overnight, which is when most people will tell you it tastes best.

Pick the meat off the bones once the ribs are tender enough to fall apart. Chop it coarse and stir it back in just before serving. Skim the fat from the surface unless you like a richer, brothier bowl.

Pro Tips

  • Brown the short ribs hard before adding liquid. The Maillard crust on the meat is where the deepest flavors live.
  • Don’t add the barley until the second stage. Add it too early and it overcooks into mush by the time the meat is tender.
  • Skim the fat that rises to the surface during the long simmer. It otherwise pools at the top and turns the broth heavy.
  • Make this a day ahead if you can. Refrigerating overnight lets the flavors meld, and the fat solidifies on top for easy removal.

Variations

  • Use beef shanks or oxtails in place of short ribs for an even richer stock.
  • Add 1 cup of sliced mushrooms with the vegetables for a deeper, earthier flavor.
  • Stir in a handful of frozen peas during the final 5 minutes for color and sweetness.

Ingredients

2 ½ 1.1
POUNDS KG BEEF, SHORT RIB
2 30
TABLESPOONS ML VEGETABLE OIL
7 1.7
CUPS L WATER
16 462.4
OUNCES ML/G TOMATOES, CANNED
1 1
EACH ONION
sliced
2 30
TABLESPOONS ML BEEF BOUILLON GRANULE
1 5
TEASPOON ML BASIL *
½ 2.5
TEASPOON ML WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
2 473
CUPS ML CARROTS
sliced
1 237
CUP ML CELERY
sliced
1 237
CUP ML PEARL BARLEY
½ 118
CUP ML GREEN BELL PEPPER
chopped
¼ 59
1 ½ 7.5
TEASPOONS ML SALT

Directions

In large kettle or dutch oven, brown short ribs over low heat.

Drain well.

Stir in water, undrained tomatoes, onion, bouillion granules, salt, basil, and Worcestershire sauce.

Cover, simmer for 1½ hours.

Stir in carrot celery, barley, green pepper, parsley.

Cover, simmer for 45 minutes.

Remove ribs.

When cool enough to handle, cut off any meat and coarsely chop Discard bones.

Skim off fat from soup. Return meat to soup, heat through.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 508g (17.9 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 820 70% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 63g 98%
Saturated Fat 26g 129%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 133mg 44%
Sodium 832mg 35%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 9%
Dietary Fiber 6g 24%
Sugars g
Protein 69g
Vitamin A 109% Vitamin C 31%
Calcium 7% Iron 27%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Trans-fat Free, High Fiber
 

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