Beef and Barley Soup

A really nice, comforting soup for this cold weather is beef and barley soup. I have always loved pearl barley in soup. I also love to make soup! So here is my version of this recipe.

Beef and Barley Soup 

serves:6

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

14 oz. beef chuck roast, I use 28 oz. Keystone beef (I use just half of the can) 

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves of chopped )

2 tablespoons onion powder (or 2 large onions chopped)

2 stalks celery, sliced

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced

6 cups of beef broth 

2 bay leaves

1 cup sliced button mushrooms

3/4 cup pearl barley

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried)

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a large pot, heat the oil add the beef and warm up. Then add the garlic powder and onion powder cook for 1 minute. The add the celery and carrots and cook until slightly soft, about 10 minutes. Pour in beef broth and add the bay leaves, then simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, pearl barley, and thyme, and cook until the barley is tender about 15-20 minutes. Just before done add the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Adapted from: The City Tavern Cookbook: Recipes from the Birthplace of American Cuisine 

You can easily make this out of a dry food pantry with the ingredients I have used. I keep celery, mushrooms, and parsley frozen too. I just needed to add fresh carrots. Such a nice weeknight meal that cooks up easily, and all you need to add is crusty bread or a grilled cheese.

Enjoy!

In Victory,

Sherry

Sweet Potato and Ginger Soup

 

I decided to try a new way to serve sweet potatoes this year. I made a sweet potato and ginger soup.

The soup was thick because I reduced the liquid a little, but you can make it more liquid by adding the 2 cups of chicken stock. 

The soup was really filling and delicious with a touch of honey added.

Sweet Potato and Ginger Soup (Instant Pot-Easy)

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 1b. sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon powdered garlic

1 3/4 cup of chicken stock (recipe called for 2 cups)

1 tablespoon honey

1 cup of heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

I added sweet potatoes, chicken stock, olive oil, honey, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper to the Instant Pot and cooked 20-25 minutes on manual. Take a immersion blender and puree soup adding the heavy cream and mix to get the consistency you want. Garnish with parsley.

Serve hot.

Recipe adapted from: The Fix It and Forget It Mediterranean Diet Cookbook 

Enjoy! 

In Victory,

Sherry

Butternut Cream Soup

It is officially cozy season, and I love to make soup! A soup I make every autumn is butternut bisque. This is a simpler version of this soup that I found, and it was just as popular as the bisque.

Butternut Cream Soup

Serves:6

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

6 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 cup heavy cream

Method:

In a large sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the butternut squash, onion powder, and cinnamon and cook 10 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook until squash fork tender, about 20 minutes.

Place all in a blender and puree. Pour puree back into sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in cream and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat once heated through and serve hot.

My bread here is a cranberry-cinnamon skillet biscuit with orange butter. 

Cranberry-Cinnamon Skillet Biscuit

Yield 8

Ingredients:

2 cups self-rising flour

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 cup heavy cream

Method:

Preheat oven to 500°F. Prepare a well seasoned cast iron skillet, or line baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. 

Mix the flour, cinnamon, cranberries, and sugar till well incorporated. Stir in heavy cream until the dough just comes together, it will be a sticky dough. 

Knead dough gently and roll out onto a floured surface with a rolling pin until 1/2-inch thickness. Right at this stage I shape the dough to the size of my cast iron skillet and place the dough in it and score it with a dough cutter before baking. If cutting into rounds, use a 2-inch biscuit cutter and place on your baking sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes. 

Serve hot with orange butter.

Orange Butter

Yield: approximately 1/4 cup 

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter, softened or room temperature

2 1/2 teaspoon orange marmalade

2 teaspoons honey

Mix all and chill in refrigerator one hour. Serve on hot biscuits.

Butternut cream soup adapted from The Unofficial Poldark Cookbook.

Enjoy! 

In Victory,

Sherry

Instant Pot Potato and Leek Soup

I had some potatoes and leeks,and I decided to try this soup. I have been wanting to make it for awhile now. It is simple and filling, perfect for the cold weather.  I served it with a grilled cheese sandwich.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 leeks, sliced white and some green parts only

4 cups chicken broth

2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

1/2 cup heavy cream

croutons (optional) 

Instructions:

Select sautee on the Instant Pot and heat the oil. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the stock. potatoes, and 1 teaspoon salt and stir in. Press the cancel button to rest the program. 

Lock the lid in place and turn the valve to Sealing. Press the Pressure Cook button and set the cook time for 10 minutes at high pressure. 

Let the steam release naturally, or for at least 15 minutes before turning the valve to Venting, then quick release any remaining steam. Carefully remove the lid. Stir in the cream. Taste to adjust seasoning. Serve hot with croutons on top.  

Serves 4-6

In Victory,

Sherry