It’s been pretty darn cold in my neck of the woods, and that’s inspired me to share our recipe for a cold weather favorite, beef barley soup.
INGREDIENTS (enough for 2 days’ meals for the two of us and a goodly portion left over for freezing). The stuff in parentheses is optional.
- Extra virgin olive oil—enough for sautéing the next 4 ingredients
- 1 lb. (organic) ground beef
- salt and pepper to taste (we go easy on them)
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 1.5 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 tsp. each of basil, oregano, thyme
- 1 large bay leaf
- 3/4 cup pearl barley
- 3 large carrots sliced into coins
- (1 medium zucchini sliced into coins)
- Green beans—as many as you like
- Baby portobello mushrooms—as many as you like, sliced or not
- 1 cup of frozen mixed veggies (peas, carrots, corn, green beans)
- Two 32-oz. boxes of (organic) beef broth or beef bone broth. (If you want an even richer broth, add Kitchen Accomplice organic beef bone broth concentrate—follow directions on container to make 4 cups, which is the amount we sometimes use, and add to the 64 oz. of beef broth.)
DIRECTIONS
- Sauté the ground beef, onions, garlic, salt, and pepper together in a large soup kettle.
- Add the broth and all the rest of the ingredients including the spices. Reserve the frozen veggies until the last 10 minutes.
- Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 50 minutes.
- Add frozen veggies & simmer another 10 minutes.
As we Poles like to say, “Smacznego!” (Bon appétit…)
Not Even Light 