Tag: soup

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.

Homemade French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup is a favorite in my family.  In fact, one of my daughters always loves to have it for her birthday.  One of the best places to get it was a restaurant in Fort Collins, Colorado called Canino’s.  The restaurant recently closed after more than 40 years of business when the owner retired, but I can still taste that soup every time I think of it.  French Onion soup is surprising simple to make and you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry.  So, let’s get out the onions and make some soup!

Ingredients:

½ cup unsalted butter

4 Onions, sliced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 bay leaves

2 fresh thyme sprigs

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

1 cup red wine

3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 quarts beef broth

1 baguette, sliced

½ pound grated Gruyere cheese

Directions:

  1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
  2. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. 
  3. Add wine and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated (about 5 minutes)
  4. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
  5. Dust the onions with flour and give them a stir.  Turn the heat down to medium low and cook for about 5 minutes. 
  6. Add beef broth and bring back to a simmer for 10 minutes.
  7. Salt and Pepper to taste.
  8. Preheat the broiler and arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet and cover with the gruyere and broil until bubbly and brown.
  9. Ladle the soup in bowls and float several of the Gruyere croutons on top.
  10. Enjoy!
Homemade French Onion Soup

You can purchase a Dutch oven to make French Onion Soup at Amazon.

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.

How to make the Best Silky Smooth Egg Drop Soup

Egg Drop Soup is the simplest Chinese recipe and it is the perfect side dish when you make Chinese food at home. This easy recipe shows you how to make the best silky smooth soup and long strings of egg. This is the perfect soup to add to your next homemade Chinese dinner and your family and friends will think you purchased it from a Chinese restaurant.

Ingredients:

4 cups of chicken broth

1/2 tsp. salt

pinch of white pepper

2 tbsp. corn starch

2 tbsp. water

2 large eggs

1 tsp. sesame oil

chives for garnishment

Directions:

  1. Pour chicken broth into a small pot and heat on medium heat until starting to bubble.
  2. Mix corn starch and water in a small bowl and then pour into the chicken broth, stirring occasionally to prevent the corn starch from clumping.
  3. When the broth starts to boil turn off the heat and let cool until it stops boiling.
  4. Mix eggs in a bowl and pour into the warm chicken broth very slowly while stirring the eggs in. Make sure the broth has been removed from heat. If you pour the eggs in when the broth is boiling the eggs will break up into small balls instead of forming long silky strands.
  5. Add salt, pinch of pepper, and sesame oil and mix together.
  6. Serve and garnish with small cuttings of chopped chives.
  7. Enjoy!
The Best Silky Smooth Egg Drop Soup

How to make Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Get ready for a rich and creamy, delicious baked potato soup with all the fixings. It’s fully loaded with bacon, sour cream, cheddar cheese and chives. You get the full loaded baked potato experience in a soup that you can’t stop eating.

Ingredients:
6 Yukon Gold Potato’s
1 yellow onion
3 minced garlic cloves
1/3 cup flower
4 tbsp. butter
8 slices bacon
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
4 green onions
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika

Directions:

  1. Dice bacon into pieces and place in a large soup pot on medium heat and cook until bacon is brown and slightly crispy.
  2. Remove bacon pieces with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pot.
  3. Add butter and chopped onion and cook over medium heat until onions are tender (3-5 minutes).
  4. Sprinkle the flour over the ingredients in the pot to create a rue and stir until smooth.
  5. Add garlic and cook in the rue cook for 30 seconds, just enough to release flavor and keep it sweet.  Overcooking the garlic will make it bitter.
  6. Combine chicken broth, milk, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and paprika to the pot. Stir well.
  7. Add potatoes and bring pot to a boil.   Let pot boil for about 15 minutes.
  8. Reduce heat to simmer and using an immersion blender puree half of the soup until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender you can remove half the soup and place in a blender. Blend that soup and return to the pot.
  9. Add sour cream, bacon pieces, and green onions, stir well.  Reserving ¼ of bacon and green onions for garnishment.
  10. Simmer for 15 minutes.
  11. Serve and garnish the top with additional sour cream, bacon, cheddar cheese, and chives. Enjoy!
Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Zuppa Toscana Soup Olive Garden Copycat Recipe

Whenever I go to the Olive Garden my favorite meal there is the unlimited soup and bread sticks. The very best soup they have is Zuppa Toscana. This Tuscan style soup is delicious and easy to make. Join us as we show you how.

Ingredients: 

6 slices of thick bacon chopped up

1 pound Italian sausage (preferably hot sausage)

6 cloves of garlic

1 medium onion

8 cups of chicken broth

4 russet potatoes

1 cup of kale

1 cup of whipping cream (or heavy cream)

Directions: 

1.Dice up the onion, set diced onions aside in a bowl.

2. Chop up the garlic cloves and add to the onions.

3. Dice up the bacon and add to the onions.

4. Sauté the onion and bacon mixture in a pot over low heat until the bacon is cooked and the onions are translucent.  Once done removed from pot and set aside.

5. Using the same pot, add your Italian sausage and chop up into small spoonful size pieces and cook until brown.

6. While sausage cooks, wash potatoes and cut in half long ways, then slice into half circles, leaving the skin on the potatoes. 

7. Add the onions and bacon mixture to the cooked sausage, add the chicken broth and potatoes.  Simmer for 30 minutes, then remove from heat to cool for 5 minutes.

8. Add the heavy cream and kale. 

9. Serve and Enjoy!