Braised Beef Tomato and Barley Soup

Braised Beef Tomato and Barley Soup

Spouse is a big soup lover and has quite a number of terrific recipes in her repertoire. Beef and Barley is one of her favorites and this is an new version that starts out in the oven to tenderize the beef by slowly braising it with canned tomatoes. Practically any cut of beef will do for this recipe because this tenderizing technique. Make a double batch to have some on hand at any time. We use individual serving sized  airtight plastic containers to freeze soup for just that purpose. The individual portions make it so easy to microwave a quick lunch or to add to brown bag lunches for the office.

Serves 6 - 8

In a large oven safe pot (a dutch oven is ideal) heat over medium high heat

3 tbsp olive oil

Add:

2 pounds diced beef
3 cloves minced garlic
salt and pepper to season

Cook for about 5 minutes until the beef is well browned.

Add:

3 cups canned stewed tomatoes
1 large onion chopped
4-6 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Cover and place in a preheated 325 degree F oven for about 2 hours or until the meat is fall apart tender. Place the pot back on the stovetop and add:

3 large carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 large parsnips, diced (turnip works well too)
1/2 cup barley
1 tsp smoked paprika
6 cups low sodium or unsalted beef stock
3 bay leaves

Simmer over low heat until the carrots are fork tender and the barley is fully cooked. Remove the bay leaves before serving.