Beef and Barley Soup

Babs Glazier

My family loves this soup. The original recipe given to me called for 1/2 cup chopped green pepper to be added with the other vegetables and 1/4 cup chopped parsley to be added towards the end. My kids don’t like green things floating in their soup, however, so I’ve eliminated them. If your family doesn’t mind, try adding them back in or using your own combination of vegetables.

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds beef short ribs (about 4 meaty ribs)
2 tablespoons oil
7 cups water
1 16-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped, with juice
1 large onion, sliced thin
2 tablespoons beef bouillon powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried crushed basil
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups sliced carrots
1 cup sliced celery
2/3 cup raw pearl barley
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, brown the short ribs in the hot oil over low heat; drain well. Stir in water, tomatoes, onion, bouillon granules, salt, basil, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Stir in carrots, celery, and barley. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes more. Remove ribs. When cool enough to handle, cut off any meat and shred or coarsely chop. Discard bones. Skim fat, if any, from top of soup. Return meat to soup and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Babs Glazier lives in Newton and is a financial planning consultant, mother of two wonderful boys, and a great cook.