Cozy, Comforting Beef & Barley Soup

Photo by Je Vois Photography

When the world feels a little darker than I would like, I always know I can get in the kitchen and make something that brings comfort.

Sometimes that means experimenting with the ingredients I have at the time, sometimes it’s baking the most basic chocolate chip cookies, but very often it means making this Beef and Barley Soup. This was a staple in my home growing up. Whenever my mom made it, she would (at least) double the recipe to stick half in the freezer to pull out for a rainy day.

Now it is a go to for me to make for my own family or for friends in need. I pretty much always take this to friends who have had babies or are going through hard times. And when I do, I always (at least) double it, to have some for my own house!

Ingredients

3 Tbsp butter

1 medium onion, chopped

4 carrots, diced

4 celery with stems, diced

1.5 lbs ground beef

1 can 28 oz chopped tomatoes

2 (14 oz) cans beef consommé

2 soup cans of water

10 peppercorns

1 Tbsp salt

1 tsp thyme

3/4 cup of barley

Method

Sauté onions, carrots, and celery with the butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add beef and cook until browned. Drain excess fat if needed. Add all remaining ingredient. Simmer one hour.