Beef & Barley Soup

Today I made Beef Barley Soup, recipe courtesy of Ina Garten.  Kevin's grandparents bought me one of her cookbooks, Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That? for Christmas and so far I am thoroughly impressed.  There are a lot of great recipes in it and they're all relatively simple (hence the name).  I thought I'd try this one and I'm glad I did.  I was a little nervous because it used a meat I'd never seen before - beef oxtails.  However, it was delicious with cooked vegetables and the barley was a great change instead of plain old white rice.


Rich Beef Barley Soup

• 1 Tbsp Good Olive Oil
• 2 lbs beef oxtails
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
• 2 cups (1/2 inch) diced carrots (4 carrots)
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup (1/2 inch) diced celery (2 stalks)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
• 3 bay leaves
• 10 cups canned beef broth
• 1 cup pearled barley

Ina Garten's Rich Beef Barley Soup

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven.  Add the oxtails, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper and  cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until browned all over.  Remove the oxtails with a slotted spoon and reserve.  

Add the leeks, carrots, onion, celery and garlic to the fat in the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until the vegetables start to brown.  Tie the thyme sprigs together with kitchen string and add to the pot along with the bay leaves.  Return the oxtails to the pot and add the broth, 1 tsp of salt, and 1 tsp of pepper.  Raise the heat and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.  Discard the thyme bundle and the bay leaves, and skim off the fat.  

Meanwhile, bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add the barley.  Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, drain, and set aside.  

When the soup is ready, add the barley and cook the soup for another 15 or 20 minutes, until the barley is tender.  Depending on the saltiness of the stock, the soup might need another teaspoon of salt and some pepper.  Serve hot, with or without the oxtails.  

Ina's soup was a bit prettier than mine - oh well!  

Speaking of white rice, I must congratulate Chunky Soup for their new commercial.  They take the white rice, lay it out and then top it off on a long rectangular platter with Chunky Beef Soup (Kelly's fav) and it looks delicious!  It looks more like an elaborate dinner than just microwaved soup.  Good advertising.  Whoever came up with that campaign is clever.