BEEF BARLEY SOUP WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

Beef Barley Soup with Roasted Vegetables image

The beauty of this soup is that you can roast the vegetables separately in the oven while it's simmering away. Then simply add them in during the last minutes on the stovetop. I love that the roasted vegetables keep their own bright flavors that add to this earthy bowl of warmth. -Gayla Scott, West Jefferson, North Carolina

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Lunch

Time 1h25m

Yield 8 servings (3 quarts).

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 pound beef stew meat (3/4-inch cubes)
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large portobello mushroom, stem removed, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
8 cups beef stock
2 cups water
2 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
1 large baking potato, peeled and cubed
2 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2/3 cup quick-cooking barley
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
Dash ground nutmeg
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Steps:

In a small bowl, mix the flour, salt and pepper; sprinkle over beef and toss to coat. In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add beef; brown evenly. Remove from the pan., In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushroom, onion and fennel; cook and stir for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add stock and water, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Return beef to pan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until meat is tender, 40-60 minutes., Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°. Place the squash, potato and carrots on a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan; drizzle with remaining oil and toss to coat. Bake until vegetables are almost tender, 20-25 minutes, stirring twice, . , Add barley, thyme, nutmeg and roasted vegetables to soup; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until barley is tender, about 10-12 minutes longer. Sprinkle with parsley. Freeze option: Freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth or water if necessary.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 339 calories, Fat 13 g fat (3 g saturated fat), Cholesterol 35 mg cholesterol, Sodium 855 mg sodium, Carbohydrate 37 g carbohydrate (7 g sugars, Fiber 6 g fiber), Protein 20 g protein.