Now that the kids are back in school, nutritious one-dish dinners are a timely treat. In America’s Test Kitchen’s book,” The Everyday Athlete Cookbook,” the authors advocate that this hearty Beef and Barley Soup is good for your soul and your active lifestyle. They advise using blade steak for the soup (sometimes called top blade); it’s a steak cut from a muscle in the beef chuck primal cut.
Soup can cool and be refrigerated airtight up to three days. Yield: 2 servings, can be doubled using a Dutch oven instead of saucepan 4 ounces beef blade steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 teaspoons canola oil 4 ounces cremini or white mushrooms, trimmed, sliced 2 carrots, peeled, sliced 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 tablespoon tomato paste 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 2 cups beef broth or chicken broth 1 cup water 1/8 teaspoon pepper 2/3 cup quick-cooking barley, rinsed 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or chives Salt and pepper to taste 1. Pat beef dry with paper towels.
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until almost smoking. Add beef and cook until well browned on all sides, 2 to 4 minutes; transfer to a bowl. 2.
Add mushrooms, carrots, and onions to fat left in saucepan and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, and thyme and cook until fragrant and tomato paste begins to brown, about 1 minute. 3.
Stir in broth, water, salt, pepper, browned bee.