Sorry, COVID times, limited pantry....so along with the veg called for, I used left over roast beef, a few cartons of Campbell's beef stock, 3/4 cup of barley and dried thyme to start. At the 30 minute mark, I added about 1 tsp. of kosher salt, several grinds of black pepper and some garlic powder (too late to use fresh and it needed a boost.) It was just OK so re-read reviews and, as 'EASYBAKEOVEN' suggested, I added red wine and a parmesan rind into the mix and left to simmer for about 30 minutes longer to give flavours a chance to meld. Both spouse and son have come back a few times after dinner to say its the best beef and barley soup ever. We're all cooks and pull from Epicurious and Bon Appetit often...so thanks 'EASYBAKEOVEN' for the great tip (but have to say your comments about 'Gourmet' and this site are off base in our estimation).
order in
Winnipeg, Canada
12/15/2020
I needed a recipe to help me use up left over roast beef - including the bones. I used this as the basis - same amount of veggies, liquid, but i had more meat, and the meat was already cooked. Plus I put the left over gravy into the soup - so that pretty means what I ended up with is NOT this recipe. However, one thing I did was use farro instead of barley (couldn't find barley, already had farro!)- about one cup. It is great in a nice thick soup - so if you wanted to make this recipe, you could swap in farro (I added about a cup) with no issues. That is why I am leaving this review - just in case you also can't find barley at your store!
krf
Bellevue, WA
12/31/2019
very, very good. All of the chopped veggies soften to the point of not being noticeable, leaving just the cremini mushrooms, barley, and bits of beef. Ends up being just the right texture for me. I doubled the amount of barley, because I like it and I like very thick soups (almost like stew). Some crusty bread would have been great, but as it was, it was excellent and I'll make it again.
thompsonae
PA
1/13/2019
I add a bit more meat than the recipe calls for, but everyone I have ever made this for loves it, and wants the recipe. With a nice crusty loaf of bread, it's perfect on a winter day.
unclisa1969
NC
7/16/2018
I made this a few times and found it good as a base upon which to build. I added a can of roasted diced tomatoes with Chipotle peppers for a little added kick and the second time I made it more herbaceous. Thanks epicurious.
9kronos
your mom's house. that's what she said. no seriously.
2/1/2016
If you read the reviews carefully, note that nobody is making the recipe as written. This is bland. I deeply resent spending over two hours cooking and preparing something that turns out bland due to a poor recipe, particularly when I took reviews into account. Deglazed vegetables with 1/2 cup of wine, added a chunk of parmesean to soup along with thyme, rosemary and additional salt and pepper. I think that, as written, you cannot flavor 8 cups of water, carrots, celery, onions, barley and a pound of meat with the small amount of salt and pepper called for. I can see why Gourmet is out of business. Overall, I've had poor results with recipes on this site.
easybakeoven
St. Louis
1/18/2015
Really hearty and a crowd pleaser! Instead of the dill, I used some rosemary and thyme that I had in the fridge, and I would definitely use these herbs again. As others mentioned, replacing the water with beef broth is a good idea - as is throwing in a bit of garlic.
shannon_proctor
Winnipeg
1/15/2014
something about the dried mushrooms made this inedible for my spouse. i thought the soup might make a winter winner. maybe i'll try again with another type of dried mushroom.
shoes58
chicago
11/12/2013
This recipe is a good base recipe, but prepared on it's own is a bit dull. A few small tweaks here and there made all the difference, and I would definitely make my own version of this soup again.For the meat, I chose a short rib on the bone, because the bone is imperative to the flavor of the stock. I chose to salt the short ribs and brown the sides before adding water and other ingredients. After the meat was cooked, the broth was somewhat bland, but I expected this since the veggies had not yet been brought into the mix.I made the rest of the recipe as directed, and the end result was still a bit lackluster, though the veggies and barley had filled out the flavor significantly. Just about ten minutes before it was done I added two cloves of garlic roughly chopped, a splash of red wine and a small cheese rind. These added just the right components to make the flavor really pop.
CarolineAnne
San Francisco, CA
8/29/2013
This was excellent. We used more meat than the recipe called for - 1lb of short ribs and another .7lb of some other bone-in cut. I also added two more cups of water and a couple of beef boullion cubes. I think it needs another root vegetable, so we diced a couple of turnips and added them at the same time as the vegetable/barley mix. Used freeze dried dill instead of fresh - the soup is still super flavorful.
Kelizzy
Minneapolis, MN
12/9/2012
Very rich and filling, perfect for acold winter night. I used about 1.5pounds of beef short ribs, aboutdoubled the veggies and like otherreviewers, deglazed the pan withsherry. I didn't have fresh dill soI used about 1 tablespoon of driedherbs like rosemary, thyme, andoregano. This was very tasty despitethe relatively short time used incooking. Thumbs up!
catstory59
boston ma
12/8/2012
The soup was quitegood. I cooked thebarley separatelywith the broth andadded some to eachserving as wassuggested. The dillgave it a greatflavor.
juanitanica
Sacramento, CA
11/26/2012
I used thyme, and dried chanterelles... wonderfully earthy! Added beef stock, afterwards, to the last few helpings... it's a new family recipe in our house!
kimbezaire
10/6/2012
Fabulous Fall soup! Made this according to the recipe except used 2# of cross cut short ribs. I used water instead of the stock like other recommended and the soup had a rich flavorful broth. I made it the day before serving and was able to skim the fat which intensified the flavors and made the soup more healthful. Definitely a keeper!
Anonymous
Downers Grove IL
10/5/2012
When I went to the store they were out of short ribs. I picked up the smallest package of soup bones and about three-quarters of a pound of stewing beef. I made one small change during cooking. I threw a 1/2 cup of the stock into the pot with the veg and barley to get all the tasty brown bits up into the soup. Lastly, I somehow forgot the dill. The soup was quite delicious. Perfect for a snowy winter dinner.
craftydabbler
Seattle, WA
1/20/2012
