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

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

Nutrition information

Each 441g serving contains (excludes serving suggestion)

KCal: 259
Carbs: 31.3g
Fibre: 8.3g
Protein: 18.0g
Fat: 5.0g
(Low)
Saturates: 1.3g
(Low)
Sugars: 14.3g
(Low)
Salt: 0.4g
(Low)
Fruit/Veg Portion: 3

What makes a healthy, balanced diet?

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

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Method

Step 1

Heat the rapeseed oil in a pan, add the onions, then cook gently for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Step 2

Add the minced beef and stir for 5 minutes until starting to brown, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon.

Step 3

Add the garlic, carrots, swede, leek and celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Step 4

Sprinkle the flour over the mince and vegetables, mixing well. Stir in the beef stock.

Step 5

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.

Recipe 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.