Hearty beef and Spinach Soup

This delicious, healthy and hearty soup is made with beef and vegetables such as carrots, spinach, onions and potatoes. This soup is not only rich in flavors, but it’s also very rich in vitamins and minerals. Though it seems like it requires many steps, believe us when we say that it is very easy to prepare. If you are a vegetarian, simply substitute beef broth with vegetable broth. Enjoy!

Recipe

Ingredients

• 60 oz of water

• 1 to 1.5 lbs of beef, bone-in preferred

• 1/4 cup of barley

• 2 medium chopped, peeled potatoes

• 1 medium shredded carrot

• 1 medium chopped onion

• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon of butter

• 1 clove of garlic

• 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder (optional)

• About 1/2 lbs of spinach

• Pinch of black pepper and pinch of salt

• 1 beaten egg

• Freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1-2 tsp)

• 1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley (optional)

Instructions

1. Boil about 1 to 1.5 lbs of beef in about 60 oz of water (bone-in beef is preferred but not required). Remember, the measurements this entire recipes do not have to be precise.

2. Skim off any residue from the beef and continue boiling meat for about an 45 minutes. (For vegetarian version of this soup, simply use vegetable broth and begin following instructions starting with step 3. )

3. Add black pepper. Add salt to taste little by little. Remember it’s better to under-salt than add too much salt.

4. Add 1/4 cup of barley and 2 medium chopped potatoes to the soup and boil it for about 15 minutes or until potatoes and barley are cooked.

5. While barley and potatoes are cooking, in a separate pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté finely chopped onions until they become golden. Then add shredded carrots, 1 tablespoon of butter, and stir it for few more minutes (2-3 mins). Add 1 minced garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder last.

6. After barley and potatoes are done, add the entire sautéed mixture to the soup bowl and stir. Add 1/2 lb of spinach.

7. Check on salt again and add more if needed.

8. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice for extra tang (optional).

9. Now add the egg to the soup and stir for few seconds. Then turn off the heat.

10. Add chopped parsley and cover the soup. It’s finally ready to serve! For creaminess, add a tablespoon of sour cream to the serving soup plate. Enjoy!