This beef barley soup is the ultimate comfort food! Just a few minutes of work rewards you with a flavorful and hearty soup that’s perfect for the fall or winter!
Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Dab beef dry with a paper towel.
Add the beef to the pot in a single layer and cook for 5 minutes, browning all sides. Do not crowd the meat in the pot. If all the meat doesn’t fit, brown half, and then repeat the process with the second half. Remove from pot and set aside.
Add ghee to the pot and melt.
Add the carrots, celery, and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring every minute or so until vegetables have lightly browned.
Add garlic, thyme, and bay leaves and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously to prevent garlic from burning.
Add one cup broth and the coconut aminos to deglaze the pot and scape up all the browned bits left by the beef and vegetables.
Add remaining broth, salt, and beef. Bring to a boil.
Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour.
Add the barley, stir, and increase the heat to regain the simmer.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, or until the beef and barley are tender. If the broth has reduced too much, add an additional cup of broth and simmer for 10 more minutes, or until the desired soupy consistency.
Discard the bay leaves, season with salt to taste, and serve warm.
Notes
Cut your veggiesabout the same size so that they cook evenly. Cut half-moon shapes on the carrots’ thicker end and 1/2 rounds on the thinner ends (since a half-moon won’t be that big).Add a cup of broth and simmer for an additional 10 minutes if the broth reduces too much while simmering after you add the barley.Substitute worcestershire sauce or soy sauce for the coconut aminos if you don’t have them on hand. Coconut aminos are definitely the preferred option but the other two work as an alternative.Use low-sodium beef broth so that you can control the amount of salt added to the recipe.