Okay, I can’t wait another second.  I better post my recipe for

Beef Barley Soup

See, I say I better post it because my wife has somehow gotten it into her head that it’s her recipe.  Which is pure balderdash, I can gaurantee.

See, I had surgery on Monday (hence the drop off in my posting.)  And on Tuesday, I was asked what sounded good for lunch.  Not really wanting to put too much burden on my tummy, but not wanting to starve myself, either, I told my wife what sounded best to me: the makings of beef barley soup.

“Get a pound of stew meat,” I said.  “Then add some chopped carrots and celery and an onion.  And some garlic.  Then add two quarts of beef broth.”

“And barley?” she asked.

“Yes, of course.  I’m on painkillers, but yes.  Add barley.”

“Where is the barley?” my wife asked.

“In the rice section.”

“In a plastic container or a bag?” she asked again.

“In a box.”

So off she goes, gets the ingredients, makes the soup and some lovely potato bread.  Then viola!  She makes a hearty soup that’s pretty easy on the ol’ tum-tum.

So, all is good until I see on Facebook she’s claiming that she just fixed the best meal of her life.  I’m feeling pretty good about myself.  My recipe enable her to make her favorite meal…but alas I keep reading!  Next, she offers to send HER recipe for the soup.  Surely that’s a typo, I feel.  I mention it to my wife, but she claims because SHE figured out to cut two large carrots, it’s her recipe, not mine.  *Gasp!*

This, of course, means war.

A war I will win by posting the following recipe and thereby claimining it as mine.  (Of course, it’s a pretty basic beef barley soup.  I’m pretty sure there are hundreds like it, but you get the picture.)   This is the version I passed to my wife and that she used to backstab me and claim as her own.

Making Beef Barley Soup

This soup is really, really easy.  It’s also a soup that does better over time because the stew meat is cheap, but it’s also tough.  Letting it boil for a good 60 minutes is really going to tenderize it.  As will chopping the meat to pieces.

You will need:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound stew meat, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4 in thick pieces
• 3 celerety stalks, cut into 1/4 in thick pieces
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 2 quarts beef stock
• 2 cups barley

In a soup pot, add two tablespoons of olive oil and let it get hot.  Meanwhile, sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper.  Add the meat and brown on all sides then remove to a bowl. 

Next, add the remaining olive oil and let it get hot.  Add the vegetables and another pinch of salt.  Cook for about 8 minutes or until the carrots start to get soft.

Add the garlic, cook for about 30 seconds.  Then add the stock.  Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes.  Then add the barely and cook for as long as the package says you should.  (Our box of Quaker barley said 45 minutes, yours might be different.)

After that, serve and enjoy!

Note: In case you were wondering, this whole post is totally tongue-in-cheek.  I like to tease my wife and fully expect nasty comments from her.  You know, if she actually read my blog. :))

Thanks to chefranden for the picture.