For years I have heard people in the Grosse Pointes ask for the recipe for the Beef Barley soup, which was a staple at the Wooden Nickel, a casual eatery located on Mack Avenue in Grosse Pointe Farms from 1983 until it closed in the early 2000s. I gathered information from various postings about how to make the soup, and I created this recipe.
Beef barley soup is a hearty, comforting dish made by simmering tender beef, pearl barley, and a medley of vegetables in a rich, savory beef broth. The following provides a guide to making classic stovetop beef barley soup.
I started with a five pound beef shank I purchased from Eastern Market. I first roasted the shank lightly seasoned with salt and pepper in a roasting pan in the oven. I then simmered the beef with parsnips, onions, leeks, celery and a tablespoon of salt, covered for four to five hours until the beef falls off the bone and can be shredded for the soup. I strain the vegetables, return the beef to the stock and make the soup by cooking a new cup of softened onion and celery, if using, and adding diced carrots, which are quartered and sliced.
Beef Barley Soup
Making this soup using a stock from a beef shank adds a richer taste than simply using purchased beef broth.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place beef shank in a roasting pan. Generously season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Bake for 90 minutes or until meat is very brown.
- Transfer beef shank to a large pot or stock pot, adding water, vegetables and seasonings.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat and then reduce heat to low, simmering covered for 4-5 hours.
- Strain broth, discard vegetables, peppercorns and bone, reserving beef. Transfer beef to a cutting board and shred. This should produce about 3-4 quarts of beef stock. Add four to six cups of water as needed. Return beef to broth.
- Cool broth and refrigerate overnight. Skim fat from stock.
- Add barley, carrots and celery, if using, to stock
- Add oil to the pot and warm over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook until soft. Add stock to pan and bring stock with carrots to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes
Looks delicious!