Mushroom Barley Soup
This soup is made with nourishing bone broth and root vegetables, creating a rich, aromatic and hearty meal that will keep you satisfied during the cold days of winter. It was my dad's favorite soup as a child. He remembers his mom instructing him on how to prepare it. "A bissel of this, a bissel of that," Bubbe would call out in her strong Yiddish accent, kvelling as she watched him sample the simmering ingredients.
- Total:
- Serves: 8 persons
Ingredients
- 3pounds beef bones
- 1pound chuck, cubed
- 1onion, quartered
- 4celery stalks, sliced in half
- 4carrots, sliced in half
- 1bay leaf
- water to cover
- 8cups beef stock (see tip)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1large onion, quartered
- 8celery stalks, diced
- 2parsnips, diced
- 8carrots, cut into rounds
- 1bunch of parsley, finely chopped
- 1cup pearl barley
- 1pound fresh white button mushrooms, sliced
- 2tablespoons tomato paste
- 2large bay leaves
Instructions
Step 1
In a large soup pot, combine all the stock ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours. Strain the broth into another large pot. Save the meat, but discard the rest of the solids. If the stock in your new pot is greasy, let it cool for about 15 minutes and then place 6 ice cubes in the pot. The grease will immediately congeal and you can spoon out the ice cubes and grease in one fell swoop. Your homemade beef stock is ready.Step 2
Taste the stock and add salt and pepper to taste. Then add the onion, celery, parsnips, carrots, parsley, pearl barley and sliced mushrooms. Bring to a boil and then add the tomato paste and bay leaves. Simmer 30 minutes, until the barley is soft. Then add the saved beef and cook for another 45 minutes. You can add a little water if too much liquid has evaporated.