My holiday gift to you........Mushroom Beef Barley Soup

I know I am the dead beat blogger of this year......sorry, have been absolutely overwhelmed with managing my aunt's estate.....and getting her house ready for sale. I have had little time for much of anything else, including knitting, which rarely happens.

I am snowed in today, we have had about 14" of snow....and have been shoveling pathways for my dogs to walk.......which just makes you want to have a bowl of really good wholesome soup.

So decided to make my favorite Mushroom Beef Barley Soup and post my recipe here on my blog, for you to join me, if you so desire:

You will need a very large stock pot, I use my cuisinart stock pot that came with the set.

2 lbs of beef cut up into bite size pieces, best to do while partially frozen.
( chuck, round steak, sirloin steak )

1 1/2 lbs of mushrooms, cut up.

1 large onion cut up

1 large rib of celery diced

2 carrots diced.

tablespoon of thyme

2 tablespoons of parsley, fresh is best.

1 tablespoon of beef bouillion optional

Large can of tomatoes

4 marrow bones ( 1" high)

butter

16 cups of water

1 lb of medium barley ( quaker makes a good one )


step one, lightly brown meat with half onion, put aside.

step two, saute til translucent remainder of onion, celery and carrots
with half of parsley, salt and pepper right in same stock pot.

step three, add water, and chopped tomatoes with juices, bouillion, salt
pepper, beef marrow bones......bring to boil and immediately lower to simmer,
partially cover with lid. simmer for an hour and a half. ( note if your tomatoes
are very acidic, which sometimes happens add a tablespoon of sugar to broth.)

after the broth is to your liking, taste it.

step four add the rinsed barley and simmer for another 45 mins. You may need
to add more water, if the barley soaks up too much of broth.

step five, while the barley is cooking, chop the mushrooms and saute with salt
and pepper to taste with the butter, for about 15 mins till most of juices are
gone, set aside.

step six. when barley is cooked......add the thyme, mushrooms and beef and simmer
another 15 mins, add additional salt and pepper if desired.

step seven.....EAT THIS SOUP IT IS GOOD!! It is wonderful with a nice glass of red wine
and fresh crusty baked bread on a cold winter's night. Put some of it away in your freezer,
in small container's to microwave for later, because it is way better than canned soup.

You can vary this soup by adding other veggies, like zucchini, corn, peppers or beans. I like it the way it is....You may want to add an extra lb. of beef if you like your soup really, really chunky.

I wish everyone happy holidays and a very, very happy properous NEW YEAR 2010!!!
Smiles to YOU,
DC