Sunday, December 14, 2014

Crockpot Beef and Barley Soup

Crockpot Beef and Barley Soup

Oh boy.  The past week in our house has been pretty miserable.  Tuesday morning, Tucker was sent home from school with a fever.  Wednesday, he was diagnosed with the flu.  Thursday morning, Henry was sent home with a fever, and the flu followed.  Saturday afternoon, Joey and I both succumbed to the flu.  Not fun.  Knocking on wood, but so far Caroline and Smith are healthy.  And we hope to keep them that way.

Have you and/or your family gotten sick yet this year?  It's a doozy!  So I have a recommendation for you.  Make a big pot of this beef and barley soup.  Eat some, then freeze some.  So if/when you get sick, you have something nourishing and comforting to eat without any work.

My sweet friend Katy dropped off some chicken and orzo soup to us this afternoon, and it was so very much appreciated by my whole family.  We've been subsisting on take-out, crackers, and applesauce; thus, a filling and healthy meal was a treat.  So I have another suggestion.  Make a big pot of this soup.  Split it in half, and then take half to a friend who's sick.  I know you have a sick friend who could use this, no?  Tis the season for giving, and all.

Oh, and about this soup?  It's really very good.  Tender beef, a rich broth, and filling barley.  This soup far exceeded our expectations.  It takes only minutes to prepare, and the payoff is huge. This immediately became one of our favorites soups, and I'm already planning to make it again very soon… to share with friends, of course.

Crockpot Beef and Barley Soup

Crockpot Beef and Barley Soup
adapted from The Make-Ahead Cook
serves 6 to 8

  • 2 medium white or yellow onions, chopped fine
  • 2 Tbs tomato paste
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 1 Tbs minced fresh thyme
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup dry red wine
  • 1/3 cup pearl barley
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 2-3 lbs beef blade roast, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 4 chunks
  • kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, for serving
In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the onions, tomato paste, oil, thyme, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of salt.  Stir well to combine and microwave for 5 minutes, or until the onions are softened.  Transfer to the slow cooker.

Stir in the tomatoes, beef broth, chicken broth, carrots, soy sauce, wine, and barley.  Generously season the beef with salt and pepper and nestle it into the slow cooker.

Cover and cook until the beef is tender, 9 to 10 hours on low, or 6 to 7 hours on high.

Carefully transfer the beef to a cutting board.  When it's cool enough to handle, shred into bite-sized pieces with 2 forks, discarding any fat.  

Use a large spoon to skim any fat from the surface of the soup.  Stir in the shredded beef and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in the parsley and serve.


4 comments:

Josie said...

I hope you're all feeling WAY WAY better! The flu is no fun!

Josie said...

Thank you for reminding me about barley. I love that in soup and I keep forgetting about it. This is such a classic---beef and barley. I love soup anyway and I love my crock pot. It works for my life style. Great recipe!

Josie said...

We loved this so much we featured it in our recent article

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas

Warm regards

The Stewardess Bible

Josie said...

I make this dish all the time and my whole family loves it! We had some leftover this past week and decided to use it as filling for stuffed peppers. It was a great way to enjoy it for a second meal!

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