Soup is Souper!

Finally a day that is below 90 degrees! It's " a bit" hard to think in soup terms when the temps are soaring near 100.
But think in soup terms I did this past Sunday!
I made my mother in law, Teresa Belcher's, famous "Beef and Barley" Soup.
I don't know if she knows it's famous, but it will be one day soon, when I open my soup restaurant.

On the menu it will say:

Teresa's famous Beef and Barley Soup or My Mother-in-law's answer to chicken soup. Or some such clever thing.

For now tho... enjoy!

BEEF AND BARLEY SOUP

1 1/2 pounds beef round steak, trim and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tblsp vegetable oil--divided
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 cup carrots--diced
1/2 cup celery--diced
1 pound mushrooms--sliced
1 tsp garlic--minced
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 14 1/2 oz can beef broth
1 14 1/2 oz can chicken broth
1/2 cup pearl barley
3 tblsp fresh parsley--chopped

Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Place 1 tblsp oil in Dutch oven and brown beef until no longer pink. Transfer to a bowl. Heat remaining oil in same pot, add onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring until veggies are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, garlic and thyme; cook 5 minutes more. Combine beef and chicken broths with enough water to equal 6 cups. Add to soup pot along with barley and beef. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until beef is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add more water if necessary, during this cooking time. Sprinkle with parsley just before serving


The Cast of Characters!!!

The action.....Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Place 1 tblsp oil in Dutch oven and brown beef until no longer pink.

chop your veggies....

take a good look at these three ingredients! Soup loves them. They love soup. In some circles they are called the "Holy Trinity" of soups. But Emril uses green pepper in lieu of one of them....

Add the trinity to the soup pot! Heat remaining oil in same pot, add onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring until veggies are softened, about 5 minutes. (notice the sunlight coming in from the window? It will fade as we progress )

Add more.... Stir in mushrooms, garlic and thyme; cook 5 minutes more.

Combine beef and chicken broths with enough water to equal 6 cups. Add to soup pot along with barley and beef.


Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until beef is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add more water if necessary, during this cooking time.

Sprinkle with parsley just before serving. Yes Indeed, I did forget the parsley. oops. :~)
We had bread and salad and wine with soup..... yummy!