Beef and Mushroom Barley Soup

By á-41879

Everyday Maven

Ingredients

• 1 ounce dried wild mushrooms
• 2 stalks celery
• 3 carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2" half moons
• 1 large yellow onion
• 4 ounces shitake mushrooms, sliced
• 12 ounces mushrooms - white or cremini - sliced into 1/2" pieces
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1.5 pounds lean stew meat cut into small cubes
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 5 - 7 black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 - 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon + 3 teaspoons kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 10 cups water

Preparation

Step 1

Gather ingredients
rinse dried mushrooms and cover with boiling water. Allow to soak while you complete the remaining prep work
remove stems from Shitake mushrooms and clean caps - slice into 1/2" pieces
trim stems of crimini and white mushrooms and clean caps - slice into 1/2" pieces
slice celery into 1" pieces
clean carrots - slice into 1/2" half moons
cut top off onion, leaving root end intact. Peel and leave whole.
rinse barley
combine peppercorns, bay leaf and sprigs of thyme in spice bag
cut meat chunks into 1" cubes
drain soaking mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Coarsely chop mushrooms

Cook -
heat large soup pot, add oil, when hot toss in meat cubes, salt, ground pepper
add 2 teaspoons kosher salt, ground pepper, spice sachet, barley, carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, and mushroom soaking liquid. Cover with water, bring to boil
Cover, bring to light rolling simmer and cook for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally
at 90 minutes, remove lid, adjust salt and pepper
cook an additional 90 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally
discard onion and spice sachet