Beef and barley soup

Name: Beef and barley soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: USA / British-American tradition
Ingredients: 600 g beef chuck or beef shin, cut into 2 cm cubes; 150 g pearl barley; 3 medium carrots, diced; 3 medium celery stalks, sliced; 1 large onion, diced; 250 g mushrooms (button or cremini), sliced; 3 piece garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1.5 litre beef stock; 2 sprigs fresh thyme; 1 piece bay leaf; 2 tbsp neutral oil; 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish

Classic slow-simmered beef and pearl barley soup

Origin: USA / British-American tradition

From the journey of Barley.

Beef and barley soup is the American vernacular expression of a grain-and-meat soup tradition that stretches back to medieval Scotland, England, and Northern Europe, brought to the Americas with colonial and immigrant communities. In Scotland, the equivalent is Scotch broth: a sheep or mutton soup with pearl barley and root vegetables. In the American context, particularly in the Northeast and Midwest where European immigrants settled, the tradition adapted to locally abundant beef, and beef and barley soup became a staple of American home cooking from the 19th century onward. It is a dish of pure practicality: tough, cheap cuts of beef that are otherwise unappealing become extraordinarily tender with long simmering, barley thickens the broth and makes it filling, and root vegetables provide sustenance. Recipes appear in American cookbooks from the 1870s onward.

Ingredients

Main

600 g beef chuck or beef shin, cut into 2 cm cubes

Grain

150 g pearl barley

Vegetables

3 medium carrots, diced
3 medium celery stalks, sliced
1 large onion, diced
250 g mushrooms (button or cremini), sliced

Aromatics

3 piece garlic cloves, minced

Flavour

2 tbsp tomato paste

Liquid

1.5 litre beef stock

Herbs

2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 piece bay leaf

Cooking

2 tbsp neutral oil

Seasoning

1 tsp salt
0.5 tsp black pepper

Garnish

1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish

Method

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over high heat. Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper. Brown in batches (do not crowd the pan) for 3–4 minutes per side until deeply seared on all sides. Remove and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the same pot. Cook for 7 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the base. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for 3 more minutes.
Add the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute until it darkens slightly.
Return the beef to the pot. Add the stock, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then reduce to a very gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 45 minutes.
Add the pearl barley. Cover and continue simmering for 45–50 more minutes until the beef is completely tender and the barley is cooked through. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve in deep bowls with plenty of fresh parsley.

Notes

This is one of the great cold-weather soups of American home cooking. It reheats beautifully: actually improving on the second day. The barley continues to absorb liquid as it cools; add extra beef stock when reheating. Serve with crusty sourdough or cornbread.

The Gastrographer

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control