When I make beef barley soup, I am going for the broth, not the meat. Put the meat bones in the crockpot along with chopped onion, celery, little cabbage and plenty of whole garlic cloves, maybe a few bay leaves. I cover with water, add a few shakes Worcestershire and let it cook on low all night, the meat will be tender when done.
Next day, I strain the liquid and put in the soup pot. Keep the meat bones, discard all else. Chop some of the meat off the bones, add to beef stock, bring to simmer, add a finely chopped carrot, some frozen peas, let simmer about 10 minutes. I usually add 1/2 cup cold coffee to make the stock darker. If the flavor of the stock is not strong enough, I add my old kitchen stand by, a Knnors Caldo de Pollo cube.
I cook the barley separate and add to the soup and let simmer a few more minutes. I have also made this soup with noodles. I nearly always cook the starch ingredient (potatoes, rice, spaghetti; etc.) separately, then add to the soup. Nothing ruins a soup more than overcooking the starch, cooking separate gives you more control of the cooking processes involved in making a good soup.
To finish. taste, correct the seasoning.
What I am going for it a strong, flavorful beef broth with a little beef, some cooked barley and a few veggies for color. I keep everything that I add to the soup sparse, so the broth will be the star.
I usually end up with 4 to 5 quarts of soup and freeze what we don't eat in quart containers. I use leftover quart yogurt containers which I fill about 3/4 full, just right for 2 people. I keep my ink marker handy and write the name of soup and the date before putting in the freezer. Right now I have 2 containers of minestrone froze and I am going to make some split-pea soup this week.
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