Beef Barley Soup With Lemon
Published Jan. 28, 2023
- Total Time
- 3½ hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1pound beef stew meat, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 2teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more as needed
- 1teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed
- 2tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
- 4garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3celery stalks, diced
- 3small or 2 large leeks, thinly sliced
- 1fennel bulb, diced
- 1tablespoon tomato paste
- ¾teaspoon ground coriander
- ½teaspoon ground cumin
- ½teaspoon sweet paprika
- Large pinch of cayenne (optional)
- 1quart beef or chicken stock
- 3sage sprigs
- 2rosemary sprigs
- 2bay leaves
- 2carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
- 2parsnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
- 2large turnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- ¾cup pearled barley
- 8cups baby spinach or baby kale (8 ounces)
- ¼cup chopped parsley
- Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon, plus fresh lemon juice to taste
- Thinly sliced jalapeños or other chiles, for serving (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
324 calories; 9 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 44 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 21 grams protein; 810 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Season beef with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Let mixture stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature.
- Step 2
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add meat and cook in batches, turning occasionally, until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Drizzle in more oil if the pan seems dry. Transfer the browned meat to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
- Step 3
Add garlic, celery, leek and fennel to the pan; cook until soft, about 7 minutes, adjusting the heat if necessary to prevent burning. Push the vegetables to one side, and, if the pan looks dry, add a bit more oil. Add tomato paste and spices to the cleared spot and cook until tomato paste is darkened and caramelized, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir together vegetables and tomato paste.
- Step 4
Return meat to the pot. Pour in stock and 8 cups water. Using kitchen string, tie sage, rosemary and bay leaves into a bundle and drop into pot. Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, partly covered, for 1 hour.
- Step 5
Stir in the carrots, parsnips, turnips, barley, 1 teaspoon salt and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper. Simmer until barley is cooked through and meat is tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour more. Pull herb bunch from pot and discard.
- Step 6
Stir spinach and parsley into pot until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes (kale may take a few minutes longer), then stir in lemon zest and juice. If soup is too thick, thin it with a little water. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Serve with chiles, if you like.
Private Notes
Comments
Despite the seemingly long list of ingredients, very simple to make and result was delicious. I thought 1/4 cup of barley was low so I added 1/2 cup....stick with 1/4 cup. Didn't realize how much barley expands especially in the leftovers
A few recommendations:
-- Add the vegetables in step 5 ten minutes after barley; the vegetables were too soft by the time the barley was toothsome
-- Use a sachet for the herb bunch instead of twine
-- Add a small knob of fresh turmeric and fish it out at the end
-- Skim the broth scum once or twice during steps 4 and 5
A few substitutions:
-- Rutabagas instead of parsnips (successful)
-- Lamb stew meat instead of beef (also successful)
-- Two Meyer lemons instead of one regular (delicious!)
Why set the beef on paper towels? Don't you want all the yummy drippings that would be absorbed?
Absolutely delicious, complex flavors. I accidentally bought celeriac instead of turnips and they turned out to be a great substitution. I also let the meat rest on a plate (no paper towel) and poured the drippings back into the pot -- and it still felt like a super light, veggie-forward version of beef barley soup.
In the interest of using a less fatty meat, I chopped up a two-pound top round and let it braise for 90 minutes to ensure tenderness before adding the barley and veggies. The liquid reduced significantly during that time so I added more. Overall it was a pleasing dish and I'd do it again.
Meh. I followed this recipe faithfully (except I couldn't find fennel in the stores, so used a little ground up fennel seeds as a sub). The result is just okay. Not very attractive as a dish, and just not very exciting for my palate. I don't mind a lot of prep work (which this requires), but the payoff for all of that just isn't there. I'll look for a different beef barley soup recipe next time.