ROASTED BEEF, MUSHROOM, & BARLEY SOUP

Roasted Beef, Mushroom, & Barley Soup image

Provided by C G

Time 55m

Number Of Ingredients 13

3/4-1 lb sirloin steak, sliced into 1/2" cubes (i used 3/4 pound new york steak)
1 lb crimini mushrooms, stems trimmed
2 shallots, coarsely chopped
1-2 clove garlic, peeled and cut in half
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt, to taste
cracked black pepper, to taste
4 c beef broth or chicken broth
1/2 c barley (read *note below)
1 fresh bay leaf
GARNISH:
1/2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce, to taste
chopped fresh italian parsley

Steps:

1. *Note: In place of quick-cooking barley, I substituted unhulled barley (also known as whole wheat barley). However, unhulled barley takes much longer to cook-closer to an hour and its texture is chewier rather than softer like quick-cooking/pearl barley. You can choose several options: quick-cooking barely as indicated in the original recipe, try unhulled barley taking into consideration the cooking time involved, or cook the unhulled barley separately and add it to the soup the final 5-10 minutes of cooking.
2. ORIGINAL RECIPE: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet, toss together steak, mushrooms, shallots, garlic and olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer and roast until beef and mushrooms are browned, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a medium pot and add broth, barley and fresh bay leaf. Bring mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high, then reduce heat and simmer until barley is soft, about 12 minutes. HERE'S WHAT I DID: Prepped the same manner as above but I slow roasted the meat and vegetables at 225 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.
3. To serve, season to taste with salt, pepper and/or more Worcestershire sauce and top with fresh parsley.