Beef Barley Soup with Roasted Vegetables

From the book Cooking for the Week by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart

Serves

4

Introduction

This is hearty, stick-to-your-ribs fare. Lamb can be substituted for the beef. Take some to work for lunch if your workplace has a microwave.

Ingredients

	4	cups Roasted Carrot, Rutabaga, and Turnip Mélange
	2	Tbsp. vegetable oil
	1	large yellow onion (10 to 12 ounces), cut into ½-inch dice or coarsely chopped large garlic clove, minced
	½	lb. very lean ground beef or lamb
	2	ribs celery, cut into ¼-inch dice
	2	(14½ oz.) cans low-salt beef broth
	1	(14½ oz.) can diced tomatoes with juice
	2	cups milk
	1	cup pearl barley
	1	small bay leaf
	1½	tsp. dried thyme
	~	Freshly ground pepper to taste

Steps

1. Cut the roasted vegetables into ½-inch pieces and let sit at room temperature.
2. In a 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil and sauté the onion and garlic until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef or lamb and sauté, breaking up the lumps, until the meat has lost its pink color. Add all the remaining ingredients except the roasted vegetables. Bring almost to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until barley is tender, about 30 minutes. Place the room-temperature roasted vegetables in warmed soup bowls and ladle the soup into the bowls. Serve.

Copyright © 2006–2008 Culinate, Inc. All rights reserved.