Beef and Barley Soup from the Careless Cook

 

Beef and Barley Soup from the Careless Cook

 

As my three faithful readers know, I do not make difficult recipes.  It’s a confession that while I like to cook, I’m an impatient eater.  So, if a recipe is difficult, I make it simple.  If I don’t have the exact ingredients, I unapologetically grab something similar.  That’s especially true of herbs.  Hey, I have a small, polite herb garden … ok, it’s not a REAL half acre garden, just a few pots of the standard perennials. But, moving past herbs, I may also grab whatever my careless eyes spy in the refrig or the pantry. Example: Going to make black bean soup, but don’t have black beans?  No prob!  Pinto beans work and I have two cans.  Call me a rule breaker, or just a Careless Cook! 

 

And with measurements I frequently use the T-LAR method, That Looks About Right.

 

I look at a recipe as a good place to start.  Where it ends is up to you.  Hey, you’re the chef!  Make it like you want it! If the diners don’t like it, meal’s over!

 

In the case of my barley soup, I added sausage to the mix because it seemed like a good idea, and besides a half-pound was left over from a previous recipe.  

 

Enough blather. Time to don that apron, pour yourself a proper goblet of a nice, polite red wine and let’s get cooking your very own delicious Beef and Barley Soup!

 

Beef and Barley Soup 

 

Ingredients (you’ll need both a skillet and a large cooking pot)

 

1 pound lean ground beef (90 to 93% lean)

½ pound Jimmy Dean Sausage (Hot, or Natural, or Original)

3-4 peeled and chopped carrots

1 large sweet onion, large dice

3 large ribs of celery, chopped

3 tablespoons tomato paste (It’s why I buy tomato paste in a tube.  Seldom does a recipe call for a whole can.)

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

2 (24 oz) cartons of beef broth

3 tablespoons soy sauce 

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

3 generous sprigs of fresh rosemary, or a heaping tablespoon of dried

3-4 generous sprigs of fresh thyme, or a heaping tablespoon of dried

1-2 cups of pearl barley (use one cup for soupy, or two for very thick)

salt and pepper to taste

 

Note: I don’t strip the leaves off herbs when I use them in soup or stew.  I wash them and toss them in, stems and all.  The leaves cook off and I can pluck out the stems easily before serving.

Puttin’ It Together

 

Fry the sausage in a skillet, breaking up the meat as you cook, then drain and reserve.  Do the same with the lean ground beef, but add a little olive oil, and when it’s finished cooking, don’t drain it.

 

In the large pot, add a splash of olive oil and toss in all the chopped vegetables.  Cook and stir for about 3 minutes.

 

Add the tomato paste, stir and cook a minute or two.

 

Add beef broth and everything but the barley, to the pot and bring to a simmer.  When it simmers, stir in the barley. (you can always add more barley later)

Cover the pot and reduce heat to low.  Cook about 45 minutes or until the barley is tender.  Consider barley a tough version of rice, so it needs to cook longer.

 

I served my thick soup in bowls, accompanied with chunks of warmed baguettes and refills of that polite red wine.   Salut!  Prost! Cheers!

 

Your guests may not talk much, but you’ll know they love it by the rude slurping and sipping. Several of my guests required bibs, but I did get these heathens to use spoons; apparently a novelty for some.  Guess I should have passed out straws for the wine.