I recently found this recipe in Martha Stewart magazine. I was looking for a hearty-stick-to-your-bones-winter-day-kinda soup. And this is it! I changed a few things, but most of the recipe still belongs to Martha. Serve this fabulous hot soup with a crusty roll on a blustery cold day.
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 lb. London broil beef, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 large onion, chopped
2 large celery stalks, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
10 oz. fresh cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 cup dry red wine
4 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
3/4 cup pearl barley
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
Garnish with grated fresh horseradish, if ya like it spicy!
Directions:
- Heat 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.
- Season beef with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add beef to pot and brown on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Transfer beef to a plate using a slotted spoon.
- Reduce heat to medium.
- Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil.
- Add onion, carrot, celery, and mushrooms and cook until golden, stirring occasionally, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
- Add garlic and tomato paste, and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 2 minutes.
- Remove pot from heat, and add wine.
- Return pot to heat, and bring wine to a boil, scraping up brown bits from bottom using a wooden spoon.
- Cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
- Return beef to pot, and add stock and water.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
- Add barley.
- Cook, covered, for another 30 minutes.
- Uncover, and cook until beef and barley are tender, 20 minutes more.
- Stir in parsley.
- Serve soup hot, garnished with horseradish, if ya like.
- Leftovers taste great the next day and this soup freezes well!
