Beef & Barley Elbow Mac Soup

• 1c. Kaslo Sourdough Classic Elbow Macaroni 
• 2c. Lean stew beef cubes
• 3/4c. Pearl barley 
• 8c. Beef broth 
• 1 Packet instant brown gravy 
• 1 1/4c. Water
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1tsp. Dried thyme
• 2tsp. Garlic powder
• 1c. Peas (fresh or frozen) 
• 1c. Celery 
• 2c. Carrots 
• 1c. Yellow onion 
• 1 1/2tbsp. Butter or cooking oil 
• S&P 

Serve with:

• Soft dinner rolls or pretzel buns
• Softened butter
• Pepper, for garnish 
  
  

Step 1 In a large stock pot, cook pearl barley according to package instructions. *don’t have the packaging? Simply add barley to the pot, and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, and simmer over medium-high heat until barley is soft, and water is absorbed, est. 30-45 minutes.

Step 2 While barley simmers, finely mince onion, celery, and carrots. Add to a large sauté pan, along with the peas, butter and 1/4c. of the water. Cook vegetables over medium heat until just softened, about 7 minutes.

Step 3 Add the cooked vegetables, beef broth, gravy packet, remaining 1c. water, thyme, and the bay leaves to the barley pot. Stir well, scraping the barley from the bottom of the pot. After bringing soup to a rolling boil, reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat, and cover.

Step 4 In the pan used for the vegetables, melt 1/2tbsp. of butter over medium heat. Season beef with garlic powder, a generous dash of salt and pepper, and add to the pan. *You may also toss the beef in flour for added crispiness if you wish. Spread the pieces out, taking care not to crowd the pan. Brown meat 5-6 minutes, turning cubes 2-3 times. Remove from heat and set aside.

Step 5 Add pasta and the beef cubes to the soup. Simmer a further 8-10 minutes, until pasta is al dente and beef is heated through. Remove the bay leaf and serve immediately, with fresh bread for dipping. We recommend salted pretzel buns with plenty of butter!

*Editor’s note: for best results, allow beef cubes to come to room temperature before cooking