Moms Italian Beef Barley Soup Recipes

BEST ITALIAN SAUSAGE SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot, cook sausage over medium heat until brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels. Drain fat from pan, reserving 3 tablespoons.
• Cook garlic and onion in reserved fat for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, wine, broth, basil, and oregano. Transfer to a slow cooker, and stir in sausage, zucchini, bell pepper, and parsley.
• Cover, and cook on Low for 4 to 6 hours.
• Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain water, and add pasta to the slow cooker. Simmer for a few minutes, and season with salt and pepper before serving.

MOM'S BEEF BARLEY SOUP

Steps:

• 1. Add 1 tbsp of oil (or margarine/butter) to a large Dutch oven and brown beef in batches. Be sure to dry your beef off with some paper towels BEFORE you brown or the beef won't brown appropriately, it will just turn grey. You want the browning for flavor You can also do this in a frying pan and then transfer all the ingredients to a soup pot.
• 2. Deglaze the pan with a bit of broth, water, sherry or dry red wine and save the drippings. Sherry really makes a nice rich flavor.
• 3. Into the same pan now cleaned, add other tablespoon of oil.
• 4. Saute onions, green pepper and celery until soft. Add carrots and continue sauteing for 3-5 minutes
• 5. Add the meat and saute another 3-5 minutes. Add water and broth. (Or transfer to soup pot and then add all the ingredients.)
• 6. Add the bay leaf, seasoned salt and the pepper.
• 7. Bring to boil, turn down and gently simmer covered for about 1 hour.
• 8. Add pearl barley, Cover pan and simmer until soft about 1 hour. (Hulled Barley about 2 hours.) The barley will absorb salt. You may need to add more seasoned salt or you may omit the salt earlier and season after the barley cooks. It depends on the broth you use. Some are very salty.
• 9. Add beans. You may stop with the beans or you may add any other veggies like peas, or green beans. Continue cooking for another 1/2 hour or so.
• 10. Serve with a crusty bread and a salad for a complete meal.

ITALIAN BEEF AND BARLEY SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in large pan.
• Brown ground beef over medium high heat.
• Drain/rinse well.
• Place carrots and onion in slow cooker. Sprinkle with thyme, rosemary and pepper.
• Top with barley and meat.
• Pour broth and tomatoes with juice over meat.
• Cover; cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours.