Hearty, Beefy & Full of Tender Fall Grain
I have always been madly in love with including barley in the various veggie and meaty soups that I make. Barley comes from a plant in the grass family, and was one of the earliest cereal grains cultivated, starting nearly 10,000 years ago in Eurasia. The reason that I like it, especially in soups and stews, is that it has an incredible nut-like taste and a chewy, toothsome texture.
It also doesn’t turn to mush in a soup the way that noodles can. It is high in both fiber and protein, so you are getting vastly superior nutritional benefits from using it, as well. It can be a very important protein source if you are following any type of vegetarian-related eating plan and getting your protein from plant, rather than animal, sources.
When I saw this fabulous Beef Barley Soup recipe that Karen put together, I was immediately transported back in time to my great-grandmother’s kitchen in the late summer and early fall months. She often made a soup very similar to this using the last of summer’s fresh produce and the first of the root veggies of fall. She always included barley in her soups, which gave them incredible body and taste.
USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INSTRUCTIONS.
Quick Tip: Look for pearl barley in your local market on the aisle with the rice and other grains, or it might be displayed near lentils and other dried beans. Pearl barley cooks in 30-40 minutes. Avoid de-hulled or hull-less barley, as it takes an age to cook. If you cannot find pearl barley, look for quick-cooking (sometimes called “instant”) barley. It only takes about 10 minutes to cook, so you can throw it into your soup or stew right before you are ready to serve it.
Recipe and image courtesy of Karen at The Food Charlatan
Leave A Comment