Beef Barley and Mushroom Soup

Beef Barley and Mushroom Soup - Seriously Soupy

After making the easy meat stock I wanted to create a new soup with savory beef. Beef barley instantly came to mind since this was a soup I had enjoyed numerous times (both at the SouperBowl and at the Soup Swap) but actually hadn't made myself. Using the rich flavors from the stock, I added in some sage, parsley, thyme, barley, mushrooms and the meat I saved from the first batch of stock. Since the flavors were already extracted from the stock, all it really needed in the end was some salt and pepper. I also found that the barley soaked up a lot of the liquid so I had to add more water towards the end. A delicious and comforting soup that even my picky three-old-year enjoyed. Even better? I have another 4 cups of stock left to try another experiment with this savory and economical soup. Any ideas?

Beef Barley and Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:
3 cups of meat stock
1-1/2 pounds of beef cubes (or the leftover meat used from the stock) 
2 cups of water
1 cup of pearl barley
1/2 yellow onion, chopped up
1 pound of medium-sized mushrooms, trimmed
Bunch of fresh parsley
Bunch of fresh sage
2-3 bay leaves
2-3 carrots, cut up
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Heat up the stock in a medium-sized pot. Cut up the onions and add them to the pot, along with the parsley, sage, thyme, and bay leaves. Add in the extra meat or new batch and cover. Let cook for 20 minutes. Cut up the mushrooms and carrots and add them to the pot, along with the barley. Cover and let cook for another 20-30 minutes - you may need to add water. Taste with salt and pepper and enjoy!

How do you make your beef barley?
Seriously Soupy Serena