Barley soup with meat

Description

A hearty first course. Barley soup is a traditional Russian soup made from simple and familiar ingredients. In flavor, it somewhat resembles rassolnik, thanks to the addition of pickled cucumbers. My husband especially loves this soup for its easy preparation and filling quality—it's a man's soup, perhaps a bit plain, but nourishing and substantial.

Instructions

1. 1

   Step 1

   Cut the meat into small cubes, about 1 cm in size. Bring one liter of water to a boil in a pot, then add the meat to the boiling water. Simmer the broth over low heat for 30 minutes, then add bay leaf, a little salt, and julienne-cut celery root and parsnip to the broth.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Slightly crush the garlic with the flat side of a knife, and cut the carrots and potatoes into cubes. Add to the broth 15 minutes later than the parsnip and celery.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Immediately after that, add the barley grains (naturally, previously soaked overnight) to the pot. Simmer the soup over low heat for 1 hour.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Meanwhile, prepare the sauté. Finely chop the onion and fry in oil until translucent. Then add tomato paste and 3 tablespoons of water. Cover with a lid and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

5. 5

   Step 5

   Grate the cucumbers on a coarse grater and add them to the onion. Mix well and cook over medium heat for another 10–15 minutes, covered.

6. 6

   Step 6

   Add the resulting sauté to the soup and cook for another 10 minutes. Then remove the soup from heat and let it steep, covered, for another 10 minutes.

7. 7

   Step 7

   The barley soup is ready.