Beef and Vegetable Broth with Pearl Barley

Ingredients

• 350 g beef braising steak
• 80 g pearl barley
• 250 g carrots
• 200 g swede
• 1 onion
• 1400 ml beef stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried thyme

Method

1. 1

   Cut the beef into small 1.5cm cubes. Brown in batches in a large saucepan with a little oil over a high heat. Remove and set aside.

2. 2

   In the same pan, fry the diced onion over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Dice the carrots and swede and add to the pan.

3. 3

   Return the beef to the pan. Add the pearl barley, stock, Worcestershire sauce and thyme. Season well and bring to the boil.

4. 4

   Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is tender and the barley is swollen and soft.

5. 5

   Taste and adjust the seasoning. The broth should be richly flavoured and slightly thickened from the barley. Ladle into deep bowls and serve with crusty bread.