Beef and Barley Soup

Look at us branching out again, this time with beef. This is a hearty stand alone soup that is perfect for a winter dinner. Start out with an inexpensive cut of meat and by slow cooking it you end up with a deliciously rich soup filled with tender bites of beef. Plan ahead for this dinner as it needs about an hour to simmer and develop all the flavors. We actually made this a day ahead for dinner tonight, just popped it out of the fridge, reheated on the stove and voilà, dinner is ready.

Recipe: (serves 6)
Ingredients:
olive oil
1/2 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, diced
10 ounces crimini mushrooms
2 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced, plus one stalk for the chef to munch on while cooking
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups low-sodium Organic Beef broth
one 14.5oz can diced tomatoes with their juices
1/2 cup pearled barley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (optional)

Directions:
1. Season meat lightly with salt and pepper and add to a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Brown the meat on all sides, just about 2-3 minutes, be careful not to overcook it, remove from pot and set aside.

2. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pot. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook until soft and the onions are translucent, ~ 5 minutes. Add the other vegetables and garlic stirring occasionally, cook another 5 minutes. Add the beef broth, tomatoes, browned meat, barley and thyme and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer about 45-50 minutes until the meat is tender and the barley is cooked through. Taste stew and season with salt and pepper if needed.