Beef and Barley with Mushrooms (Printable)

Tender beef, savory pancetta, and mushrooms with pearl barley in a rich, aromatic broth.

# What you'll need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 lb beef chuck roast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
02 - 4 oz pancetta, diced

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 lb baby bella mushrooms, sliced
04 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
05 - 2 medium carrots, diced
06 - 2 celery stalks, diced
07 - 3 garlic cloves, minced

→ Grains

08 - 3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed

→ Liquids

09 - 8 cups low sodium beef broth
10 - 1 cup water

→ Aromatics & Seasonings

11 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
12 - 2 bay leaves
13 - 1 tsp dried thyme
14 - 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
15 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
16 - 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
17 - 2 tbsp olive oil

→ Garnish

18 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

# Method:

01 - In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook until browned and crispy, approximately 3-4 minutes. Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon and set aside.
02 - Season beef chuck cubes with salt and pepper. Add to the pot in batches, searing until browned on all sides, approximately 5-6 minutes per batch. Remove beef and set aside.
03 - Add remaining olive oil to the pot. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery until softened, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add sliced mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms release their juices and begin to brown, approximately 6-8 minutes.
05 - Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Return beef and pancetta to the pot. Add barley, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, beef broth, and water. Bring to a boil.
06 - Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender and barley is fully cooked.
07 - Remove bay leaves. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It fills the house with a smell so inviting that people start appearing in your kitchen without being asked.
  • The barley does something magical, absorbing all that savory broth while staying tender, never mushy.
  • It tastes even better the next day, making it the kind of dish that rewards your patience and planning.
02 -
  • Don't skip browning the meat—it's the difference between good soup and soup that tastes like it's been simmering all day in the best way.
  • Barley absorbs liquid like nothing else; if your soup seems too thick after sitting, add water or broth when you reheat, not while cooking.
03 -
  • Let the beef brown undisturbed for a minute or two on each side—resist the urge to move it around or you'll stew it instead.
  • Taste constantly in the last 20 minutes of cooking; mushroom broths and wines add different salinity, so trust your palate over the recipe.
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