Name: Beef and barley soup
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 tsp rapeseed oil; 2 large onions, finely chopped; 250g lean minced beef (5% fat); 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 2 carrots, chopped; 1 small swede, finely chopped; 1 medium leek, finely chopped; 2 sticks celery, chopped; 20g plain flour; 1 low-salt beef stockcube, dissolved in 1.5L water; 50g pearl barley; half tsp dried thyme; pinch pepper; 2 tsp chopped chives, to garnish

Guide to the symbols

This isn’t just a soup - it's a hearty meal that is ideal for wintry days, all cooked in one pan.

Serves

Prep

20 minutes

Cook

45 minutes

Each 441g serving contains (excludes serving suggestion)

KCal

259

Carbs

31.3g

Fibre

8.3g

Protein

18.0g

Fat

5.0g

Saturates

1.30g

Sugars

14.3g

Salt

0.40g

Portion Fruit & Veg

Nutritional information explained

What makes a healthy, balanced diet?

Ingredients

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Ingredients

1 tsp rapeseed oil

2 large onions, finely chopped

250g lean minced beef (5% fat)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 carrots, chopped

1 small swede, finely chopped

1 medium leek, finely chopped

2 sticks celery, chopped

20g plain flour

1 low-salt beef stockcube, dissolved in 1.5L water

50g pearl barley

half tsp dried thyme

pinch pepper

2 tsp chopped chives, to garnish

Method

Heat the rapeseed oil in a pan, add the onions, then cook gently for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
Add the minced beef and stir for 5 minutes until starting to brown, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon.
Add the garlic, carrots, swede, leek and celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
Sprinkle the flour over the mince and vegetables, mixing well. Stir in the beef stock.
Mix again, add the pearl barley, thyme and pepper, bring to the boil, turn down the heat, cover, then simmer gently for 30 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of chives.

Chefs tips

You can make this with minced lamb, or use minced turkey for a lower-fat dish.
For a vegan version, replace the beef with a can of green lentils and a low-salt vegetable stock cube.
To concentrate the flavours further, you can cook without a lid to reduce the amount of liquid.
Freezing instructions: Suitable for freezing once cooked. Can be frozen in small pots for individual portions. Defrost in a microwave or on the hob, over a very low heat until piping hot.