I love making soup because it’s so versatile. You can adjust any of the ingredients to your own personal liking or add things as you wish. Beef and Barley is one of my families favorites. When I make soup I usually just throw it together. But I wanted to share with you our favorite soup so I made sure to write down everything I did so I could pass it on to you. Please feel free to adjust this to your taste.

Beef and Barley Soup:

Serves 4-6 people.

• 1 1/2 – 2lbs cubed stew meat
• 4 tbs Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 carrots, diced small
• 1 onion, diced small
• 1 garlic clove chopped finely
• 1/2lb-3/4lb fresh green beans, ends cut off and cut into small pieces
• 1 (15oz) canned corn, drained
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup red wine (or beef broth to deglaze)
• 2 (32oz) Beef Broth
• 1 (32oz) Chicken Broth
• 3/4 cup instant barley

1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat, add 2tbs olive oil. Salt and Pepper the cubed beef. Once the oil is hot, add the cubed beef in batches and brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from pan and continue browning the meat till all the meat is browned.
2. Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 2tbs of olive oil and the carrots and onion; saute till softened, about 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook till fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine (or beef broth) to deglaze the pan. Let simmer for about 2 minutes.
3. Add the beef and chicken broth,(If you need to add more broth, use chicken broth) bay leaf, fresh thyme, canned corn, green beans, and diced tomatoes. Let simmer on low for about 1 1/2 hours. Add the barley for the last 20 minutes of cooking. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Enjoy!

Source: Gina Marie Original