Fall is here and that means it’s soup weather in Michigan and, I’m sure, all over the Midwest. Last week I made beef barley, one of my husband’s favorites. I used my pressure cooker because I think the cooking process intensifies the flavors and definitely makes the meat melt in your mouth tender. An insta-pot also functions as a pressure cooker and a Dutch oven on top of the stove would work also. This is the kind of soup that most of us have all the ingredients for in our kitchens. I used a package of cubed chuck and, after searing, I cut it into even smaller pieces. The thing about soup is there are guidelines but no hard and fast rules. Make it your own. Don’t like some of the veggies, substitute. We have a good friend who won’t eat anything with bay leaves, so leave the bay leaves out. Whatever adjustments you make, when it’s done you’ll be enjoying a nice, hot bowl of soup with a hunk of crusty bread or some croutons, and you’ll be happy you made it!

Ingredients:

2 pounds (give or take) of cubed beef

olive oil for searing

1 large onion diced

1 or 2 russet potatoes peeled and diced

3 medium carrots diced

1 cup of diced baby portabellos

3 ribs of celery diced

6 garlic cloves minced

2 bay leaves

Bundle of fresh thyme

2 T tomato paste

2 pints of diced tomatoes

4 cups of beef or mushroom stock (or a combination of both)

1 T soy sauce

3/4 cup of barley

Wash and dice all of your vegetables.

Set your pressure cooker to browning. Season your beef with salt and pepper. Add some olive oil to the pan and sear the meat in batches. Once all of the meat has been seared cut it into smaller pieces and set aside along with all the meat juices.

Add all of the veggies to the pot and sauté for 4-5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Turn the pressure cooker off. Return the beef and the juices to the pan. Add the bay leaves, tomato paste, tomatoes, broth, and the soy sauce. Use kitchen twine to secure the thyme and add to the pot. Secure the cover and process on high pressure for 15 minutes. Allow the pot to naturally release for 15 minutes, and then carefully release the remainder of the steam.

Because I had quick barley I added it after releasing the pressure. Set the pot to simmer and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the barley is tender.

Ladle into bowls and enjoy.

The soup will taste even better on day two!

NOTES: Frequently recipes will call for 1 T of tomato paste and you’re left with the majority of a can. I put the remainder of the tomato paste in an ice tray and when it’s frozen I transfer the cubes to a freezer bag. Each cube is approximately 1 T of tomato paste. No waste and handy for your next recipe.