Beef Barley Soup With Lemon

Name: Beef Barley Soup With Lemon
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 2 teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more as needed; 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed; 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 3 celery stalks, diced; 3 small or 2 large leeks, thinly sliced; 1 fennel bulb, diced; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika; Large pinch of cayenne (optional); 1 quart beef or chicken stock; 3 sage sprigs; 2 rosemary sprigs; 2 bay leaves; 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks; 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks; 2 large turnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 3/4 cup pearled barley; 8 cups baby spinach or baby kale (8 ounces); 1/4 cup chopped parsley; Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon, plus fresh lemon juice to taste; Thinly sliced jalapeños or other chiles, for serving (optional)

By Melissa Clark

Published Jan. 29, 2023

Beef Barley Soup With Lemon — Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.

Total Time: 3½ hours
Rating: 4(2,858)
Comments: Read comments

With a higher ratio of broth to barley than one usually sees, and the addition of plenty of fresh baby spinach, this beef barley soup is a little lighter than most of its kind. However, it’s still a substantial, satisfying meal that gets a heady aroma from spices (coriander, cumin and paprika) and a brightness from lemon. If you like your meals with a kick, top this with thinly sliced jalapeño, which will wilt slightly from the heat of the soup. Leftovers freeze perfectly for at least three months, though if using the jalapeño, don’t add it until serving time.

Featured in: Beef Barley Soup Lightens Up

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

1pound beef stew meat, cut into ½-inch cubes
2teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more as needed
1teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed
2tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
4garlic cloves, finely chopped
3celery stalks, diced
3small or 2 large leeks, thinly sliced
1fennel bulb, diced
1tablespoon tomato paste
¾teaspoon ground coriander
½teaspoon ground cumin
½teaspoon sweet paprika
Large pinch of cayenne (optional)
1quart beef or chicken stock
3sage sprigs
2rosemary sprigs
2bay leaves
2carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
2parsnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
2large turnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
¾cup pearled barley
8cups baby spinach or baby kale (8 ounces)
¼cup chopped parsley
Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon, plus fresh lemon juice to taste
Thinly sliced jalapeños or other chiles, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Season beef with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Let mixture stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature.
Step 2
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add meat and cook in batches, turning occasionally, until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Drizzle in more oil if the pan seems dry. Transfer the browned meat to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
Step 3
Add garlic, celery, leek and fennel to the pan; cook until soft, about 7 minutes, adjusting the heat if necessary to prevent burning. Push the vegetables to one side, and, if the pan looks dry, add a bit more oil. Add tomato paste and spices to the cleared spot and cook until tomato paste is darkened and caramelized, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir together vegetables and tomato paste.
Step 4
Return meat to the pot. Pour in stock and 8 cups water. Using kitchen string, tie sage, rosemary and bay leaves into a bundle and drop into pot. Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, partly covered, for 1 hour.
Step 5
Stir in the carrots, parsnips, turnips, barley, 1 teaspoon salt and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper. Simmer until barley is cooked through and meat is tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour more. Pull herb bunch from pot and discard.
Step 6
Stir spinach and parsley into pot until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes (kale may take a few minutes longer), then stir in lemon zest and juice. If soup is too thick, thin it with a little water. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Serve with chiles, if you like.

Ratings

4 out of 5

2,858 user ratings

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Comments

Walter7 years ago

Despite the seemingly long list of ingredients, very simple to make and result was delicious. I thought 1/4 cup of barley was low so I added 1/2 cup....stick with 1/4 cup. Didn't realize how much barley expands especially in the leftovers

Clancy7 years ago

A few recommendations:
-- Add the vegetables in step 5 ten minutes after barley; the vegetables were too soft by the time the barley was toothsome
-- Use a sachet for the herb bunch instead of twine
-- Add a small knob of fresh turmeric and fish it out at the end
-- Skim the broth scum once or twice during steps 4 and 5
A few substitutions:
-- Rutabagas instead of parsnips (successful)
-- Lamb stew meat instead of beef (also successful)
-- Two Meyer lemons instead of one regular (delicious!)

BB7 years ago

Why set the beef on paper towels? Don't you want all the yummy drippings that would be absorbed?

becaru2 months ago

So bland. I had to laugh at the photo of the soup with the big chunks of beef and vegetables, when the instructions say to cut them into 1/2 inch pieces.

Thom4 months ago

I've made this a couple times. Endlessly riffable, and such a cool, interesting blend of spices. No parsnips or turnips? Butternut squash and spuds. Or whatever. Just don't skip the fennel in the mirepoix! Nice depth - it shows up, subtly, all the way through. Oh, and double the meat and garlic, heap those spices, and kale holds up better for leftovers. And as another poster suggested, let the barley go solo for 10-15 minutes and the add the veg to they're not too soft. Don't skip the lemon!

Jenifer4 months ago

Perfect, comforting, nourishing soup for a winter meal. I left out the fennel because I couldn’t source it and made it with some beef bone broth I made from scratch. The herbs , especially the rosemary leaves definitely needed a satchel as they exploded, which I don’t mind but the kids and hubby do.

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