Meal-in-a-Bowl Mushroom Barley Soup

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

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This recipe makes 8 servings

Nutritional Info
Per serving: about	-
cal	224224 cal
pro	19 g19g pro
total fat	9 g9g total fat
sat. fat	2 g2g sat. fat
carb	17 g17g carb
fibre	3 g3g fibre
chol	28 mg28mg chol
sodium	789 mg789mg sodium
% RDI:	-
calcium	44 calcium
iron	1919 iron
vit A	3535 vit A
vit C	55 vit C
folate	1212 folate

More great recipes from this menu:

Cremini mushrooms give this soup a deep rich colour and flavour. All that's missing is some freshly baked bread and you have a cosy family meal for a cold winter night. The vegetarian variation is also delicious.

Ingredients

1 1lb lbstewing beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 tsp salt 1/2 1/2tsp tspsalt
1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 1/2tsp tsppepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/2 1/2tsp tspdried thyme
2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 2tbsp tbspvegetable oil
1 cup diced onions 1 1cup cupdiced oniononions
1 cup diced celery 1 1cup cupdiced celery
1 cup diced carrots 1 1cup cupdiced carrotcarrots
6 6cups cupssliced cremini mushrooms, 1 lb/500 g
6 cups chicken stock 6 6cups cupschicken stock
1/2 cup pot barley 1/2 1/2cup cuppot barley or pearl barley
1 tbsp tomato paste 1 1tbsp tbsptomato paste
1 bay leaf 1 1bay leafbay leaves

Preparation

Season beef with salt, pepper and thyme. In large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the oil over medium-high heat; brown beef, in 2 batches, about 5 minutes. Remove to plate. Drain off any fat in pan.

Add remaining oil to pan; cook onions, celery and carrots over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add mushrooms; cook, stirring often, until mushroom liquid begins to evaporate, about 5 minutes.

Stir in stock and 2 cups (500 mL) water, scraping up any brown bits in pan. Add barley, tomato paste and bay leaf. Return beef and any accumulated juices to pan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until beef and barley are tender, about 1 hour. Discard bay leaf.

Additional information : Slow-Cooker Meal-in-a-Bowl Mushroom Barley Soup: Follow first three paragraphs. Transfer reserved beef and accumulated juices, vegetables, stock and water to 16-cup (4 L) slow-cooker. Add barley, tomato paste and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Discard bay leaf.

Variation
Vegetarian Meal-in-a-Bowl Mushroom Barley Soup: Omit beef. Cook onions, celery, carrots and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt, pepper and dried thyme in 1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil. Add 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) beans (such as red or white kidney beans, black-eyed peas or black beans), drained and rinsed, along with barley. Cook until barley is tender, about 40 minutes.

Source : Canadian Living Magazine: January 2004