Happy Slow Cooker Soup Sunday!! Today’s soup is Beef Barley Soup which is one of my favorites. It’s nostalgic and reminds me of my gramma. Gramma was a great cook and her soups were always delicious. I enjoyed the dilly taste, the vegetables with a bit of beef and of course the chewy barley. It’s a hearty soup that can feed the whole family.
Gramma made soups like this to stretch small amounts of meat and done garden vegetables, especially when running low in the late winter months.
Let’s get starting!
First, we are going to brown the beef. I am using tenderloin steak. Half I used in Fajita Soup and today I’m using the rest in this delicious Beef Barley Soup that tastes just like gramma’s!
Chop steak into small pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. I am browning the steak in bacon grease.
Once the steak is cooked, remove from pan. Toss into crockpot. If you are using it another day like I did, let cool and freeze until ready to use.
Toss onion, celery, carrot, green/yellow beans, peas and corn into the slow cooker.
Add seasonings and browned steak.
Add potatoes and half the water. I always soak the potatoes first, drain and rinse and then add the potatoes with water.
Add broth or stock.
Add barley.
Add remaining water.
Cover and let cook for 6 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
Here is the soup after 5-1/2 hours. I added a bit more water and left it to cook the last half hour while the bread cools.
This soup is simple and so delicious!
We made Depression Bread – mostly using whole wheat flour and just a little white flour to make the loaf a bit lighter and fluffier in texture.
Slow Cooker Soup Sunday – Beef Barley Soup
1 small steak, chopped into small pieces – I am using half of a 285g/10oz tenderloin steak
1 small onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 cup green/yellow beans
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup corn
1 tsp dried or frozen dill
1 tsp dried or frozen parsley
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh cracked pepper
3 cups water
1-1/4 cups chopped potato
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup barley
Chop steak into small pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. I am browning the steak in bacon grease. Toss onion, celery, carrot, green/yellow beans, peas and corn into the slow cooker. Add seasonings and steak. Add potatoes and water. Add broth and barley.
