Beef Barley Soup (Printable)

Tender beef and grains simmered with aromatic herbs and finished with tangy sour cream.

# What you need:

→ Meats

01 - 1.1 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 0.8 inch cubes

→ Grains & Legumes

02 - 0.5 cup pearl barley, rinsed
03 - 0.5 cup dried lentils, rinsed
04 - 0.5 cup dried white beans or cannellini beans, soaked overnight and drained

→ Vegetables

05 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 medium carrots, diced
07 - 2 stalks celery, diced
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Herbs & Greens

09 - 0.5 cup fresh parsley, chopped
10 - 0.5 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
11 - 0.25 cup fresh dill, chopped
12 - 0.25 cup fresh chives, chopped
13 - 2 tablespoons dried mint for garnish and fried onions

→ Dairy & Garnishes

14 - 0.44 lbs sour cream or Persian kashk

→ Pantry & Spices

15 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
16 - 1 tablespoon butter for fried onions
17 - 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
18 - 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
19 - 1.5 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
20 - 8.5 cups beef or vegetable stock

# How to make it:

01 - In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add beef cubes and brown on all sides, approximately 5 minutes. Remove beef and set aside.
02 - Add remaining olive oil to the pot. Sauté chopped onions until golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic, turmeric, black pepper, and salt; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add carrots and celery to the pot, cook for another 3 minutes.
04 - Return beef to the pot. Add barley, lentils, soaked beans, and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Add chopped parsley, cilantro, dill, and chives to the soup. Simmer uncovered for 10 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
06 - In a small skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add a thinly sliced onion and cook until deeply golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Stir in dried mint and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat.
07 - Ladle the soup into bowls. Swirl 1 to 2 tablespoons of sour cream into each serving and top with mint-fried onions.
08 - Serve hot with crusty bread or Persian flatbread.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It feels like a hug in a bowl, the kind where each spoonful tastes completely different because of all the herbs and textures working together.
  • The mint-fried onions are where the magic happens, and once you taste that crispy-fragrant topping, you'll be making it for everything.
02 -
  • Don't skip browning the beef properly; it's the difference between soup that tastes like cooked ingredients and soup that tastes intentional and rich.
  • Adding the fresh herbs at the very end is non-negotiable because long simmering turns them dull and gray; you want to taste them bright and alive in every spoonful.
03 -
  • Soaking the dried beans overnight isn't just about saving time; it actually makes them more digestible and prevents that heaviness some people feel after eating legumes.
  • Taste your soup three times during cooking because the salt needs adjust as the stock reduces and the flavors concentrate, and you only get one chance to get it right before serving.
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