Reviewed: Oct. 18, 2009

This recipe made the best stew/soup I have ever had. I just cut back the water a little and threw the whole thing in a crock-pot for a few hours. The flavor is great.

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MikeKelley

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Reviewed: Feb. 25, 2009

Felt the soup didn't have a lot of depth to it. I added a tin of crushed tomatoes and about a tablespoon each of thyme, parsley and a couple of bay leaves, let it simmer for an extra couple of hours then it was good to go. Good base recipe but needed the extra herbs. Thanks.

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charli_1544

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Reviewed: Jan. 18, 2009

This is a good base recipe. I left out the mushrooms since my family doesn't like them and added more carrots and more veg. I also used home made BEEF stock -- certainly chicken stock would only detract from the beef flavor I was looking for. Also, I think the recipe should state whether to use regular barley or the quick cooking kind. I used regular myself.

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LindaMock

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Chicago, Illinois, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 20, 2008

This is a great soup! I opted to bulk up on the carrots and potatoes instead of adding a frozen veggie mix, just because that's what I had on hand... Also, I added a couple of beef boullion cubes with the stock and water to add a little more flavor. This was a great base for me to play around with.

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Lauren

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Tacoma, Washington, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 26, 2008

The soup was a bit too thick and lacked flavor.

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R. Michael

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Reviewed: Sep. 27, 2008

This is also terrific made with lamb stock instead of the canned broth. Lamb bones are very cheap and easy to use for making stock, and if the bones are meaty enough, you can use the lamb meat in the soup instead of beef. Lamb and barley go really well together--give it a try!

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JScrappy

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Columbiana, Ohio, USA

Living In: Newport News, Virginia, USA

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Reviewed: Sep. 15, 2008

This was fabulous- loved it loved it loved it!

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Karrie

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Portland, Oregon, USA

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Reviewed: Jul. 13, 2008

Giving 4 stars for the modifications I made. I doubled the water and broth, but then that came out too thin a broth for my liking, so I took out a couple of cups of the broth and whisked in about 2 tbsp of cornstarch, added back to the soup and boiled for 2 minutes, then served. This made it a nice consistency with a good amount of broth. I also used homemade chicken broth, olive oil instead of veg, doubled the garlic (next time I'll add more) and didn't put in the mushrooms (don't care for them). Mine was done in an hour. Was really good and filling!

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sixkyej

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA

Living In: San Diego, California, USA

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Reviewed: Feb. 4, 2008

i thought this soup was really good. i cooked the barley first because i didn't have the quick cooking kind. i also added some celery and a little more chicken broth at the end because i thought the soup was too quick. yum.

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Halei

Cooking Level: Beginning

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Reviewed: Dec. 9, 2007

The family loved this one! I would add more barley next time though, just because we all like it.

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Kathy B.

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Mckinney, Texas, USA

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Reviewed: Oct. 8, 2007

As with all recipes, I first try them 'as is' even if I've read other reviewers' comments. The soup is thick, almost no broth, not as flavorful and the beef is still chewy though the vegies are perfect. Next time, I stewed the beef in advance so it holds its shape but falls apart when bitten into, adding it and the juices in last 20 min to warm and integrate. I used 4 cups of beef broth and 3 cups of water. I prefer more carrots, so I used 2 cups and omitted the mushrooms and frozen vegies. It was perfect. I still give Melanie kudos for providing a good base recipe!

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Cat

Cooking Level: Expert

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Reviewed: Aug. 15, 2007

This soup is so good that there is never any leftovers in the fridge for long.

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muffin

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Reviewed: Aug. 9, 2007

Very good, although I did make quite a few changes. I added a can of diced tomaotes and 3 cups of tomato juice. I also left out the bag of frozen vegetables and instead put in 1 cup of corn and 1 cup of chopped zucchini. And I changed the chicken broth to beef broth. After all, it's beef soup, right?? Soooo hearty and good.

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spiceisnice

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Jun. 11, 2007

beefy beefy!! tasty tastu!! Yumm Yumm! no more need to be said man!

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No gift at all

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Reviewed: Feb. 19, 2007

Easy and delicous -- but I made a few changes: for 5 hrs. I slowcooked 2 1/2 lbs. stew beef - cut up with a big dash of worcestershire sauce, garlic and basil; 5 cups beef broth (because I couldn't get the 6th cup to fit in my crock pot); italian frozen veggies (cut up a little); definitely keep the stewed tomatoes and cut up onion, a small can of corn and a small can of peas. I cooked the quick barley separately (and left in the 'fridge until the last heat through.) I will make this recipe until May (because that's when the snow melts around here!)

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Ellie A

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Reviewed: Jan. 11, 2007

This soup was very easy to make. I didn't have any stew meat on hand but I did have a london broil which I cut up to one inch cubes and followed the rest of the recipe and I doubled the liquid ingredients. When it came time to taste test, I thought that it missed a little something. I reviewed other recipes and noticed that tomatoes or tomato sauce was added. I used a can of tomato sauce and let it simmer a little longer. If you like liquid in your soup, I would definitely double or triple the liquid ingredients because the barley does like to soak it up. Everyone loved this soup and requested I make it often.

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moonxfive

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 28, 2006

I liked this recipe a lot especially with all the veggies that are in it I cooked it in a crock pot for the flavors could cook up more and to avoid scorching it's a nice way to warm up on a chilly day

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Johnnie Mendenhall

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Camden, Alabama, USA

Living In: Lansing, Michigan, USA

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Reviewed: Oct. 19, 2006

Really nice soup. I didn't use mushrooms (hubby hates them) and I honestly didn't miss them. I did find that the beef taste needed a bit of a boost so right at the end of cooking I added a shot of beef base concentrate. That was exactaly what the receipe needed. Next time I think I will start with 3 cups of chix stock and 2 cups of beef stock to approximate what I did this time.

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JulieLegg

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: San Jose, California, USA

Living In: Falls Church, Virginia, USA

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Reviewed: Mar. 2, 2006

My family loved this! I did make some slight changes though. I omitted the frozen vegetables and instead added a handful of fresh string beans snapped into small pieces. I also added a tablespoon and a half of chicken boullion (granules)for a little more flavor. This recipie was easy, healthy & hearty. Thanks!

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Sam

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Brooklyn, New York, USA

Living In: Staten Island, New York, USA

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Reviewed: Apr. 3, 2005

Loved it! It was great to be able to make it on the spur of the moment, without using the crockpot!

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DENYSE2

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Melanie's Beef Barley Soup

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