Look! A new post!!
I’ve been neglectful again. I haven’t stopped cooking – I’ve been forgetting to take pictures. And without the pictures, what good is a cooking blog post?
I almost forgot to take pictures of this soup. And then the camera almost died on me (low battery). It’s a miracle that I actually have some material to work with here!
This recipe is from the March issue of Cooking Light, in the “Lunch to go” article. For the past couple of months, I’ve been packing lunch for Stas… sometimes it’s a wrap, sometimes some borscht, sometimes leftovers. I try to switch it up so he doesn’t get bored. (So I really hope he likes this soup!) I chose this recipe simply because I’ve never made a beef & barley soup before…
Barley and Beef Soup
from Cooking Light, March 2009
cooking spray (I used sunflower oil)
2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
1 pound chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups chopped, peeled carrot (about 4)
1 cup chopped celery (about 4 stalks)
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup uncooked bearl barley
5 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat. Coat with cooking spray (or oil). Add chopped onions and beef; cook 10 minutes or until onion is tender and beef is browned, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
chuck steak fillets
beef & onions in dutch oven
Add chopped carrot and celery to dutch oven; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Stir in barley and remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and summer 40 minutes, or until the barley is done and vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaves.
after adding carrots & celery
barley
Serves 6 (serving size: 1 3/4 cups)
This is the type of recipe that improves with time. So if you can, make it the day before you plan to eat it.
enjoy!
