Beef, Leek, and Barley Soup

-- adapted from Smitten Kitchen blog --

 

Be forewarned - this one needs to sit on the stove for awhile so it's a good weekend soup if you're going to just be home hanging out (or in my case, studying) for awhile.

1. Trim 2-6 big, meaty short ribs and put them on the bottom of your soup pot.  (I used 6.  Who doesn't love short ribs?!)

2. Add 1 cup of barley, three big cloves of garlic shopped up, and three leeks cut lengthwise and then into segments–use both the white and the green parts. You can also add mushrooms, onions, and any other vegetables you might like. Grind in a little black pepper.

3. Add about eight cups of filtered water or beef stock and let it simmer on the back burner for at least three hours while you go about your business. You can also add lima beans, cube potatoes, peas, corn, string beans and chopped tomatoes at any point, or the second day, should you have any leftover.  (I added peas and corn since that's what I had handy in the freezer.)

4. Before serving, skim off the fat–there will be a bit, as short ribs are quite fatty–take the meat off the bones, chop it and put it back in the soup.


Enjoy!  :)