Beef and Barley Soup

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil divided
1 medium yellow onion peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic minced
2 large carrots peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 ribs celery sliced in half lengthwise, then cut into 1/2 inch pieces
8 1/2 cups beef stock or broth (low sodium) divided (Note 1)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 beef bouillon cubes*
1 and 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or use 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme)
2 bay leaves
3/4 cup pearl barley
1 and 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
3/4 teaspoon EACH: dried basil, dried oregano
1 can (14.5 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
Optional: fresh chopped parsley, crusty loaf of bread

Directions

Cube the beef and then pat dry with paper towels. Generously salt and pepper all the sides.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat and once it’s shimmering, add the beef cubes (in one even layer; you can do this in batches to not overcrowd the meat). Sear for about 15-20 seconds per side (about 1 minute total) and then transfer the beef to a large slow cooker.

Turn heat down to medium-low and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Next, add in the carrots and celery and continue to saute, stirring occasionally for 5-8 minutes.

Turn the heat up to high, add 1 1/2 cups of beef stock (or red wine), and scrape any browned bits up from the pan. Stir and simmer for 3 minutes and then pour the veggie mixture into the crockpot.

While the veggies are simmering, you can add everything else to the crockpot: tomato paste, chopped potatoes, crumbled beef bouillon cubes, Worcestershire sauce, fresh thyme, bay leaves, uncooked pearl barley, white sugar, dried basil, dried oregano, undrained fire-roasted tomatoes, and finally the rest of the beef stock.

Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

Remove bay leaves and taste for seasoning. It will vary greatly depending on the actual beef stock and bouillon cubes you use, but I generally add about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Enjoy with fresh parsley (optional) and a crusty loaf of bread!