Week 238: Mushroom Beef Barley Soup

Happy New Year!!

I hope all of you had a great winter break, thank you for letting me take an extra long one to spend with my family. I always feel that my heart is at its fullest when all my people are home, especially when I'm cooking & baking for them!!  

On the menu for TUESDAY, JANUARY 16th is MUSHROOM BEEF BARLEY SOUP with ITALIAN SUPERMARKET BREAD. This flavorful soup is filled with mushrooms, barley and slow cooked beef that will melt in your mouth; it's pure comfort food in a bowl! Normally we end the year with this soup, but we ran out of time so I thought we'd kick off the new year with this delicious soup.

The soup begins with cooking a little bit of bacon in the pot ... just enough to start the soup off right . Once the bacon is crispy, the beef is added and seared to enhance its flavor.

Next, carrots, onions, celery, garlic and mushrooms are added. Once softened, fresh thyme, smoked paprika, and reconstituted dried mushrooms are added along with homemade chicken stock, balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and brought to a boil.

The soup simmers for a few hours, until the meat is fork tender. Pearled barley is added towards the end of cooking to add a chewy bite and it's garnished with fresh parsley.

The bread companion this week is my ITALIAN SUPERMARKET BREAD. Just like the name says ... it's a fresh loaf of bread that tastes like the loaves of Italian bread you used to be able to pick up from the supermarket. It has a crispy exterior with a nice chewy bite and is coated in sesame seeds. It is simple, but tastes anything but.

Jenny Sue Delights will be taking January off, she'll be back in February with some tasty treats for all of us to enjoy.

And one quick housekeeping item, pickup orders will now be until 5:30 PM.  I can make accommodations as needed, just let me know and we'll figure it out.