Easy Roasted Beef, Mushroom and Barley Soup
Whew! As much as I love Thanksgiving, my family and I need a break from all the turkey, stuffing, and sweet potato leftovers and this very anti-Thanksgiving-in-the-flavor-department soup, truly hit the spot. Plus it's a snap to make, which after you've spent hours and hours carefully preparing a meal that gets wolfed down in 20 minutes by your adoring clan while you can barely keep your head from hitting the plate in front of you, is an absolute necessity this week!
Are you a soup lover? I could eat it every day, especially after extended stints in hockey rinks!! There's just nothing better to come home to when you're chilled to the bone and this one is full of carrots, turnips, mushrooms and barley, as well as roasted sirloin, so it's full of things that are good for you and full of flavor too.
And I know that I already told you it was easy--but indulge me once more--"It's so easy!" All you do is toss the steak, mushrooms, shallots, carrots and turnips together with some olive oil on a baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes.
Then you throw the whole thing into a pot, add some chicken broth and barley and about 15 minutes later, voila! You've got yourself a delicious steaming bowl of hearty soup that's filling enough to be a main course along with a salad and maybe a good piece of crusty bread. Every bite is full of tender steak and veggies with the chewiness of the barley. Tastes like something you slaved over all day, but unlike the Thanksgiving feast, it comes together in under an hour! Total comfort food and weeknight perfection!
And if you haven't entered the holiday giveaway to win a copy of Wintersweet, click on this link. There are only a few days left to enter, so don't miss your chance! It's an amazing cookbook and I know you're going to love it!
Easy Roasted Beef, Mushroom and Barley Soup
Makes 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: About 1 hour
Ingredients
- 1 pound sirloin steak, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 pound mushrooms, halved or cut into quarters if large
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1 purple-topped turnip, peeled and chopped into bite-sized chunks
- 2 shallots, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup quick-cooking barley
The Recipe
1. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Place the cut-up steak, mushrooms, carrots, turnip, shallots on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with the oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. Then arrange into a single layer and roast for about 30 minutes, tossing at the halfway mark, until the steak is browned and the veggies are tender. Transfer everything to a large pot. Add the broth and barley and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and let simmer for another 12-13 minutes until the barley is soft. Season with additional salt and pepper if necessary and serve immediately.
2. Soup can be made several days ahead and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat over low heat when ready to serve. Also the recipe doubles very well.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart. I added carrots and turnips.
