It's been raining for days here in SF and that kind of weather always makes me crave soup. On Sunday, I made some beef barley soup with mushrooms, intending to eat it later in the week. Soup, chili, and stew are always better when they've had a chance to sit for a day or two.
Tonight we paired a bowl of that soup with ahi tuna salad, which I quickly whipped up when I got home tonight. For the recipe, check out entry #158 (Pretty Enough for Christmas?).
To be honest, the soup was okay, but not great. I used a recipe from an old Food & Wine cookbook that had provided lots of great recipes to me over the years. Here it is, with my suggestions for enhancing it:
Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 lb boneless beef chuck, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb shitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps chopped
1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup red wine
6 cups low sodium beef broth (cookbook recipe calls for water)
1.5 tsp salt
1/2 cup barley
1 tsp (not packed) freshly chopped rosemary
1 jalapeno, scored 3-4 times from top to bottom (cookbook recipe doesn't include this)
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the meat and brown well (approx. 8 minutes). Remove meat and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add onions, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium, add mushrooms and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer 2 minutes.
Return meat to the pot with any juice that has accumulated. Add broth and salt and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and cook at a bare simmer for 30 minutes.
Add barley, rosemary, and jalapeno and cover pot. Cook until barley is tender, about 1 hour longer and then stir in pepper.
This soup is easy and healthy but I wouldn't say it's the tastiest thing I've ever made. Any thoughts for improvement? Please share!
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