Beef Barley Soup pt.2
Quick Look_______________
Here's my version of vegetable beef barley soup. We served 15 gallons at the a2f snow trip last year. This recipe is a quick and easy and mimics a long slow boiled soup by using gelatin.- Prep time: 10-15 minutes
- Cook time: 1-1.5 hrs
- Difficulty: Easy
- Labor Intensity: You can do on your own very easily!
- 30 servings, adjust by 1.5x if your group tends to eat multiple servings.
Ingredients_______________
- 11lbs sirloin tip, sirloin, or tri tip (could use chuck or brisket -- add 45 minutes to boil time)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 5 onions
- 16 cubes beef bouillon cube(enough for 1 gallon broth) -- add more to taste if necessary
- 8 cubes chicken bouillon cube (enough for 1/2 gallon broth)
- 2.5lbs frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 bunch celery
- 1/2 cup gelatin
- 1.5 lbs dried barley
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt as needed.
- 4 (28) ounces cans chopped stewed tomatoes
Directions_______________
- Start boiling 1.5 gallon water and add bullion cubes, reduce to low heat once it starts boiling.
- Cut meat into 1/2 inch cubes (if necessary) and add to water
- Fry onions until translucent and add to water.
- Add celery, pepper, chopped stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, mixed vegetables, barley and bay leaves (everything but gelatin) to water
- Boil until the meat is very tender (usually 1 hour on high).
- Dissolve gelatin in some cold water and wait a few minutes and add to soup.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- (Pearl barley will absorb the liquid and expand a lot, so don’t add more than you need.)
Tom's Tips and Tricks_______________
This is as simple as it gets. Just toss everything into a stockpot, get it boiling (this takes the longest), reduce heat to a simmer --watch out so it doesn't flow over and burn, and let it simmer.You could substitute beef broth, but bullion tends to be cheaper.
What's different about this recipe?
- I changed the beef broth to a beef/chicken broth mixture. It lightens the flavor and compliments it very well. There's added depth to the soup in this ratio.
- I used gelatin for the rich mouth feel (see prior entry). It really adds a nice richness to the soup- add more if desired.
- I added soy sauce for a more savory soup.
- I pan fried the onions to carmelize them instead of just throwing it into the water.
- I used a more tender cut (which is more expensive, but saves an hour of time). You can use a cheaper cut on sale if you like and just boil it on it's own a little longer until tender.
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