Tag: comfort food

The Best Beef and Barley Soup

One of my all time favorite foods, whether its cold outside and you want some cold weather food, or some comfort food is Beef and Barley Soup. I love this soup and it’s really simple to make.

Ingredients:

2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into one inch cubes

1 tsp salt, divided

1 1/2 tsp pepper, divided

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 carrots, sliced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tbsp tomato paste

8 cups chicken broth or stock, divided

1 small bunch thyme

2 bay leaves

6 peppercorns

3/4 cup pearled barley

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

(optional – fresh parsley for garnishing)

directions:

  1. Add the vegetable oil to a Dutch oven and warm up over medium high heat.
  2. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper and season the steak.
  3. Cook the steak in small batches, and brown the steak on all sides (1-2 minutes).
  4. While the steak is cooking cut up your vegetables (onion, celery and carrots) and set aside.
  5. After each batch of steak is cooked remove and set aside.
  6. Add your cut up vegetables to the Dutch oven and sprinkle the remaining salt and pepper (1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp pepper) and cook for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables brown.
  7. After 4-5 minutes add your chopped garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, then remove all vegetables and set aside.
  8. Add 2 Tbsp tomato paste to the Dutch oven and brown for 1-2 minutes.
  9. Add 1 cup of chicken broth to the Dutch oven and stir to deglaze the Dutch oven, then add 2 more cups of chicken broth and the beef.
  10. Take a small piece of cheesecloth and add in your thyme, 2 bay leaves, and 6 peppercorns. Tie up the cheesecloth into a small cachet and add to the soup, and simmer with a lid on it for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
  11. After 1 hour 15 minutes remove the lid and add 2 more cups of broth and vegetables, and the barley. Cook for 30-40 minutes. Add the remaining broth or water as needed.
  12. After 30-40 minutes your soup is ready to serve.
  13. Enjoy!

The Best Homemade Beef and Barley Soup

You can purchase a Dutch oven to make your own Beef and Barley soup at Amazon.

Amazon Basics Enameled Cast Iron Covered Round Dutch Oven, 6-Quart, White

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. See my disclosure policy.

Better than Olive Garden Alfredo!

Alfredo is one of life’s great comfort foods. Surprisingly, it is super simple to make and you can create a fettuccine alfredo meal in just 20 minutes that tastes even better than the alfredo you get at the Olive Garden.

Ingredients:

½ stick of butter (8 tbsp)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 cups heavy cream

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup grated Romano cheese

1/8 tsp ground white pepper

Pinch salt

1 pound fettuccine noodles

Directions:

  1. Fill large pot with water and preheat it to boil the fettuccine noodles.  When the pot of water starts boiling add the pasta to the water and cook it according to directions.
  2. Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium heat.  Add the minced garlic to the melted butter and cook for one minute.
  3. Whisk in the flout to the melted butter and cook for 1 minute while stirring.
  4. Add the heavy cream and continue to stir while the mixture comes up to a light boil.  Reduce the heat and stir as it thickens. 
  5. Stir in the Parmesan and Romano cheeses into the butter and heavy cream.
  6. Add the white pepper and salt.
  7. Drain the pasta and mix it into the alfredo sauce.
  8. Plate the pasta with alfredo sauce and garnish with parsley and/or add chicken if desired.
  9. Enjoy!
Better than Olive Garden Alfredo!