New recipe!

Beef and Barley Soup

Putting down the recipe for the soup I made tonight, so that I can make it again later!

2 lbs stew meat
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion
4 celery stalks
3 large carrots
1 cup frozen southern style hash browns
1 cup pearl barley
1 bottle Guinness
3 cans beef broth
1 can tomato paste
1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon beef base
2 cups water
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 bay leaves
2 springs rosemary
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil (garnish)

Cut stew meat into bite size pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat. Brown meat in batches, removing cooked meat to plate between batches. Deglaze pan with Guinness, scraping up all the brown bits from the bottom. Add 2 cans of beef broth. Add the meat back in (I used an arm roast from my mom's beef, so I had a bone after cutting all the meat off. I put the bone in the pot while I simmered the meat.) and any juices on the plate. Add the rosemary and bay leaves. Cover and simmer for an hour and a half on low. While meat simmers, finely dice onion, celery, and carrots. In large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add veggies and saute for 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add thyme. Add can of tomato paste to veggies and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Add veggies to meat (remove bone) and add frozen potatoes. Also add barley, 2 cups water, and beef base. Simmer 45-50 minutes on low until barley is cooked al dente. Add additional can of beef broth if needed to ensure enough broth. Garnish with freshly chopped basil for serving. 

We also had freshly baked Texas dinner rolls for dunking in the broth. Was a great dinner for a chilly day!