Description
This is the kind of soup that makes the whole kitchen smell like you’ve been cooking all day, even though the slow cooker did most of the work. It’s thick, rich, and honestly even better the next day when the barley has done its thing.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1.75 pd - 800 g cubed soft shin, no bone
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed well
- 2 leeks, sliced and washed properly
- 1 large bunch of soup celery, including leaves, chopped
- 5 medium carrots, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 5 small potatoes, scrubbed, skin on, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 15 oz - 1 medium can of diced tomatoes
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Knorr vegetable stock pots
- 3 beef stock cubes
- 8 cups boiling water
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
- Brown the 800 g cubed soft shin in batches so it actually browns and doesn’t steam. Transfer the browned shin to the slow cooker.
- In the same skillet, add the chopped 1 medium onion and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
- Add the 2 tsp minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Scrape all of that into the slow cooker too, including any browned bits stuck to the pan. That’s flavor.
- Rinse the 3/4 cup pearl barley under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Add it to the slow cooker.
- Add the sliced 2 leeks, the chopped large bunch soup celery including leaves, the 5 medium carrots, and the 5 small potatoes.
- Stir in the 1 medium can of diced tomatoes.
- Tuck in the 5 sprigs of fresh thyme.
- Sprinkle over the 1/4 tsp ground cloves and 1/2 tsp ground coriander.
- Add 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce.
- Dissolve the 2 Knorr vegetable stock pots and 3 beef stock cubes in 8 cups boiling water.
- Pour this stock into the slow cooker. The liquid should just cover everything. If it looks too thick later, you can add a little extra boiling water.
- Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
- Go easy on the salt at first since the stock cubes are salty.
- Cover and cook on High for 4 1/2 hours.
- Check at the 4 hour mark. The beef should be tender and the pearl barley soft but not mushy.
- If it needs a little longer, give it another 20 to 30 minutes.
- Remove the thyme sprigs before serving.
- Taste and adjust salt and black pepper. If you like a slightly thicker soup, mash a few of the potatoes against the side of the slow cooker and stir.
- Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve with homemade bread.
- It’s even better the next day once the barley thickens everything up.
Notes
Created, prepared, tried, and tested Gail
