Hearty Beef and Barley Minestrone Soup
Rustic minestrone loaded with beef chuck, bacon, barley, and vegetables simmered in beef broth. Thickened with mashed beans and finished with fresh spinach, herbs, and parmesan. A substantial one-pot soup that feeds a crowd.
Ingredients
- 1 Tb olive oil
- 5 slices bacon
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb beef chuck boneless ribs, cut into one-inch pieces
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 4 stalks celery with tops, chopped
- 1 ½ c frozen spinach, chopped, drained, pressed
- 28 oz diced tomatoes
- ½ c barleyditalini pasta1:1pastagluten-free
use in final 10 minutes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, fresh
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 1 Tb dry parsley
- 4 c beef broth
- 2 white potatoes, peeled, cubed
- 14 oz great northern beans, canned, drained, rinsed
- parmesan, shredded, for topping(optional)
Instructions
- 1
Cut bacon into half-inch pieces.
- 2
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat and add bacon.
- 3
Mince garlic and dice onion, add to pot.
- 4
Cut beef into one-inch pieces and add to pot.
- 5
Chop carrots and celery while meat cooks.
- 6
When onions soften and meat browns, add carrots, celery, tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaves, rosemary, parsley, salt, pepper, and barley.
- 7
Rinse and drain spinach, press out water, and add to soup.
- 8
Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for one hour.
- 9
Peel and cut potatoes into cubes.
- 10
Rinse and drain beans. Add half to soup along with potatoes.
- 11
Place remaining beans in a bowl, ladle in broth from soup, and mash with fork until pasty. Stir mash back into soup.
- 12
Continue simmering on low for another half hour, covered, until potatoes are tender.
- 13
Serve topped with shredded parmesan.
Tips
Mashing half the beans creates a naturally thickened broth without cream or flour.
Pressing water from spinach prevents the soup from becoming watery.
Use a Dutch oven for even heat distribution and to retain moisture during long simmering.
Good to Know
Refrigerate in airtight container up to 4 days. Freeze up to 3 months.
Prepare through initial simmering step. Cool, refrigerate. Reheat gently and complete final half-hour simmer before serving.
Ladle into bowls, top generously with shredded parmesan. Serve with crusty bread.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip pressing spinach water to avoid watery, diluted broth.
Do not skip the bean-mashing step to avoid thin broth consistency.
Do not overcrowd pot when browning beef to avoid steaming instead of browning.
Substitutions
Gluten-Free Swaps
use in final 10 minutes
shorter cooking time