Hearty Vegetable Soup with Barley

I’ve been making this delicious, Hearty Vegetable Soup with Barley for as long as I can remember.  Savory, flavorful soup packed with veggies, made hearty by barley, and featuring ground beef or leftover beef or pork roast.

This time I had leftover Beef Roast, but if you like to buy cuts of meat that you can use for two meals, a leftover Pork Loin is my other favorite option.  Make it once and use the leftovers for this rich and flavorful soup. Lots of times, I’ve made it with ground beef as well.  Another nice thing is you can add whatever vegetable you like or have on hand.  Use up leftover veggies from your week’s menu, or grab something from your freezer or pantry.

Begin with about a cup each of chopped onion, celery, and carrots.

Add a couple of Tablespoons of olive oil to a pot and turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the veggie mixture and saute for a few minutes until they’ve softened just a bit. If you are using ground beef begin by browning the beef with the onions and after draining add the other vegetables.

Also, add 1 bay leaf,

2 tsp. salt,

1 tsp. pepper,

A half an hour before serving, add in the beef or pork (1-2 lbs.) that you’ve cut into chunks as well as 2 cups of diced tomatoes with their juice.  After the half hour, check the flavor to see if it needs salt and pepper.

And, like all my soups, it may be even better and thicker the next day.  If you somehow have leftovers, freeze them for another day!
You’re gonna love it!

Hearty Vegetable Soup with Barley

 

Print

Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

2 hours

Total time

2 hours 25 mins

 

Savory, flavorful soup packed with veggies, made hearty by barley, and featuring ground beef or leftover beef or pork roast.

Alison: That Which Nourishes

Recipe type: Soup, Meal

Cuisine: American

Serves: 10 servings

Grocery List

• 1 cup carrots
• 1 cup celery
• 1 cup onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 9 cups chicken or beef stock (or a combination of the two)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 1-2 lbs. cooked pork loin or beef roast
• 3-5 cups of varied vegetables, fresh or frozen (examples: corn, beans, peas, kale, squash,)
• 2 c. diced tomatoes

Here's how...

1. Add a couple T. of olive oil to a soup pot and turn the heat up to medium-heat. Add the veggie mixture and saute for a few minutes until they are softened a bit. If you are using ground beef, brown it with the onions and after draining add the other vegetables.
2. Add 2 cloves of garlic.
3. Next, add 9 cups of chicken or beef stock or a combination of the two, as well as the bay leaf, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and either pearl barley or potatoes. Also add the remaining vegetables.
4. Bring the whole thing to a boil and let the veggies tenderize and all the flavors marry for an hour.
5. A half hour before serving add the beef or pork roast and the tomatoes and let them simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Check the seasonings and add more as needed.

3.5.3251