Tony Zentgraf
It All Started With Scotch Broth
Beef Barley Soup goes back to a variation made in Scotland over 250 years ago, called Scotch Broth. The soup was made with beef broth but no meat was added.
In the colonial days, beef barley soup recipes start to make an appearance in the United States.
Barley – The Ancient Grain
Although there is not an official definition for what qualifies as an ancient grain, Barley falls into the list of generally accepted ancient grains. If a grain can be traced back thousands of years and the grain hasn’t been modified, it will be found on an ancient grain list.
Many times the list of ancient grains have been edited to be a list of gluten free grains, such as quinoa, amaranth or buckwheat.
Barley does contain gluten but there are ancient grains on the list that are not gluten free and have not been modified over time. Barley harvesting and use can be traced back for thousands of years.
Utilizing Brisket Leftover
This recipe is my own variation using Smoked Beef Brisket. Leftover smoked brisket freezes well, before freezing it slice it into 1 -2″ slices. Doing so will make it quick to thaw and can be shredded into bite size pieces for the soup.
I use a blend of chicken and beef broths to give a balanced flavor and the bold flavor of the smoked brisket bumps up the beef flavor. You can use all beef broth if you would like, it will only intensify the flavor.
Find the recipe for Smoked Beef Brisket here.
Brisket Barley Soup
Print RecipeRecipe Multiplier
- 1 ea Onion cut into ½" dice
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil or Garlic Confit Oil
- 1 tbsp Garlic Minced
- 3 ea Large Carrots ½" diced
- 3 ea Celery Stalks ½" diced
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- ½ cup Red Wine
- 4 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- 4 cups Low Sodium Beef Broth
- 1 ea Sprig Thyme
- ½ cup Barley raw
- 1 lb Shredded Smoked Beef Brisket
- 1 cup Fresh Green Beans halved
- Adjust seasoning with Salt and Pepper as needed.
Instructions
Prep Ingredients
- Cut the large onion into ½" dice.
- Cut the Carrots and Celery into ½" dice.
- Trim the ends from the green beans and cut in half.
- Mince the garlic.
- Shred the Brisket into 1" by ¾" pieces.
Cooking the Soup
- Over a medium high heat, place a heavy bottom pot such as an enameled cast iron, add the oil bring up to temperature.
- Add the onions and sweat them until they begin to look translucent.
- Add the garlic and saute for a minute to bring out the aroma.
- Add the carrots and celery and saute for a few minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and stir in.
- Caramelize the tomato paste. It will stick to the bottom of the pot and adhere to the vegetables. Cook until the tomato paste has changed color to a darker red and is sticking to the bottom.
- Add the red wine. Reduce by half.
- Add both broths to the pot. Bring to a medium low boil.
- Add the barley and thyme. Cook the barley for approx 45-60 minutes until the barley is tender.
- Add the shredded brisket & green beans.
- Adjust seasoning with S&P as needed. Enjoy!
