beef, mushroom, and barley soup

Laurie Sybertz provides big mugs and spoons that she has collected over the years for her guests at her Annual Christmas Eve Open House. They’re fun and easy to walk around with. This is Laurie’s original recipe.

  • 2 to 3 pounds stewing beef, cut in 1-inch cubes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 5 to 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 cups chopped carrots
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • ½ cup red wine
  • 2 teaspoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 pound pearl barley
  • 12 to 16 cups beef or other broth
  • 1 pound cremini or button mushrooms, sliced

Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat a soup pot over a medium-high flame, add 2 to 3 tablespoon of oil, and sear the beef in batches to brown all sides. Remove the browned beef and set aside.

Turn the heat down to medium, adding another 2 tablespoons oil and the carrots, celery, and onion. Saute for about 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with red wine, scraping up the beef and veggie bits. Add tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and barley. Return beef to the pot, along with 12 cups broth, reserving the remainder to thin the soup if needed later.

Simmer on low heat for 3 to 4 hours. The barley will absorb the liquid and thicken the soup.

Thirty minutes before serving, add the mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste.

Serves a crowd.

Slip-decorated stoneware, 3 cornered bowl by Lisa Howard from Local Pottery, Norwell.

beef, mushroom, and barley soup