Beef, Leek and Barley Soup

A steaming bowl of soup is the ultimate cliché for a snowy day – but for good reason. Especially a soup like this – where the ingredients need nothing more than to be mixed together and spend some time over a flame to be transformed into an incredible dinner.

It evokes the oft-repeated catchphrase of the infomercials for the Showtime Rotisserie oven – “set it, and forget it!” I hope I’m not the only one able to recall “As Seen on TV products” from 10 years ago.

But wait, there’s more! While this dish will be much appreciated by any snow shovelers coming in from the cold, its long cooking time means it can be wonderfully adapted for a Shabbat crockpot lunch. If preparing it that way, cut the liquid back about a cup, cook it on high for 2 to 3 hours before Shabbat starts, then turn it to low for the remainder of the cooking time. It’s a wonderful substitute for the traditional heavy cholent.

All this can be yours – for only 3 easy payments of $19.99.

Beef, Leek and Barley Soup – Serves 4 to 6

1 pound stew beef, cut into chunks
½ cup barley
4 cloves garlic
2 medium onions
2 to 3 medium leeks
1 medium zucchini (optional)
8 ounces mushrooms (optional)
4 cups water
4 cups beef, chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper

Starting with a 4 or 5-quart pot, place the meat in the bottom.

Dice the onion and garlic, and add to the pot with the barley.

Wash and dice the leeks and zucchini and add in with the mushrooms.

Pour the water and stock on top.

Let the soup simmer for about 3 hours, covered on the stove. Salt and pepper to taste.

For more exciting recipes from Amy Spiro’s Nosh Pit, click here