Beef Barley Soup

The Soup That Feels Like Love

This soup is a family favorite—a go-to meal in the fall and winter that’s as comforting as it is easy to make. But beyond its simple, yummy goodness, what makes this soup truly special is its origin story.

When our first son was a newborn, my husband would take me and our tiny baby out on Saturday mornings for a little treat. We’d often end up at a small, locally owned café with seating for about 12. The owner/chef had a Saturday ritual of starting the day by making a big pot of this soup.

Maybe it was the exhaustion of being a new mom, but that soup felt transformative. I’d sit there, tired and overwhelmed, and somehow, this simple, warm bowl of goodness made me feel hopeful, comforted, and loved. It was like someone wrapped me in a big, cozy hug and reminded me I wasn’t alone.

That feeling has stayed with me, and maybe that’s why this soup means so much to me today. When I make it for my family, I’m sharing more than just a meal—I’m sharing that feeling of love and comfort I experienced all those years ago.

I hope this soup does the same for my family as it did for me back then, and maybe, just maybe, it will do the same for yours. ❤️🍲✨

Beef Barley Soup

Special Note: The measurements in the recipe are a guideline. By all means feel free to play around with this recipe, adding more or less of any of the ingredients. Oh…and this soup gets even better the longer it has time to sit.

Ingredients:

• 1lb extra lean ground beef

• 1 large sweet yellow onion

• 1 1/2c peeled and chopped carrots

• 1 1/2c chopped celery

• 4c favorite tomatoe sauce (in these photos, I’m using a basic previously frozen homemade tomatoe sauce made from our home grown tomatoes)

• 4c favorite vegetable (or beef) broth

• 6 bay leaves

• 1/2c dried barley (pot or pearl - pot are bigger than the pearl)

• salt and pepper to taste

• Optional: 1 - 2 tbsp butter and or 1 - 2 tbsp brown sugar

Instructions:

1. Cook ground beef in a large soup pot, breaking up ground beef into desired sizes.

2. Once the beef begins to brown, add chopped onions, carrots and celery. Continue to cook for about 10 minutes, until onions begin to become translucent.

3. Add tomatoe sauce and broth. Stir to combine. (When I don’t have homemade sauce, I use a glass jar of tomatoe sauce making certain there is no added sugar and preferably no salt.)

4. Add Bay Leaves, stir to combine. (Keep track of the number of bay leaves added for removal before serving - or warn anyone eating the soup to keep a look out for the bay leaves because bay leaves Do Not soften during cooking)

5. Add barley, bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Allow to simmer at least until the barley is cooked…about 1 hour. (I let the soup simmer for a couple of hours to further deepen the flavours.)

6. Taste for seasoning…add salt and pepper if desired.

7. If soup tastes a little ‘thin’, 1-2 tbsp will ‘thicken’ the flavour.

8. Depending on the tomatoes used, if the recipe tastes a little bitter, add 1 - 2tbsp brown sugar.