One-Pot Beef and Barley Soup

The soup that makes the whole apartment smell like Sunday: seared beef, mushrooms, a splash of red wine, and pearl barley simmered low in one pot until the beef falls apart and the broth turns deep and silky.

Serves: 6 | Time: About 2 hours, mostly hands-off

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ cup dry red wine
• 8 cups beef stock, plus more as needed
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 2 bay leaves
• ¾ cup pearl barley, rinsed
• Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Method

1. Sear the beef. Pat the beef dry and season it well with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the beef in batches, without crowding, until deeply browned on a couple of sides, about 4–5 minutes per batch. Move it to a plate.
2. Soften the vegetables. Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt and cook for 6–8 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, until soft. Add the mushrooms and cook until they give up their liquid and start to brown, about 5 minutes more.
3. Build the base. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes, until the paste darkens to brick red. Pour in the wine and let it bubble for a minute, scraping the bottom of the pot clean.
4. Simmer low. Return the beef and any juices to the pot. Add the stock, Worcestershire, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 1 hour.
5. Add the barley. Stir in the rinsed barley. Simmer uncovered, stirring now and then, for 40–45 minutes, until the barley is tender and the beef breaks apart with a spoon. Add more stock if it gets too thick.
6. Finish and serve. Remove the thyme stems and bay leaves. Taste and adjust with salt and plenty of black pepper. Ladle into bowls and finish with parsley.

Charlie's Notes

Use chuck, not lean stew meat: the fat and connective tissue are what make the broth rich. Pearl barley cooks in about 40 minutes; hulled barley needs closer to an hour, so give it a head start if that's what you have. The barley keeps drinking the broth as it sits, so loosen leftovers with stock when you reheat. It's even better the next day.

To Pour

A Côtes du Rhône, or a dark stout if you'd rather have beer. Both stand up to the beef and the earthiness of the barley.