Beef barley soup with lemon

Serves 8

A soup made for lazy Sunday afternoons, requiring more time than effort. Lighter than you may expect, this beef barley soup features seared chunks of beef and lightly chewy barley, but spinach and lemon step in for the usual mushrooms. It's especially herby from a bouquet garni, which only sounds fussy in nature: By tying the herbs into a satisfying little bundle, you can spend more time eating and less time fishing around for loose stems.

INGREDIENTS

1pound beef stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), divided use 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided use

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 3ribs celery, diced

3 small or 2 large leeks, thinly sliced

1 fennel bulb, diced

1tablespoon tomato paste

3/4 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika Large pinch of cayenne, optional 4cups beef or chicken stock 3 sage sprigs

2rosemary sprigs

2 bay leaves

2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2inch chunks

2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2inch chunks

2 large turnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3/4 cup pearl barley

8 cups baby spinach or baby kale 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Finely grated zest of 1small lemon, plus fresh lemon juice to taste Thinly sliced jalapeños or other chiles, optional for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Season beef with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Let mixture stand for 30minutes to 1 hour at room temperature.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add meat and cook in batches, turning occasionally,

GETTY IMAGES Homemade beef and barley soup is an easy, comforting dish for a chilly winter night. Best of all, it's lighter than you might expect. until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Drizzle in more oil if the pan seems dry. Transfer the browned meat to a papertowel-lined plate to drain. 3. Add garlic, celery, leek and fennel to the pan; cook until soft, about 7minutes, adjusting the heat if necessary to prevent burning. Push the vegetables to one side, and, if the pan looks dry, add a bit more oil. Add tomato paste and spices to the cleared spot and cook until tomato paste is darkened and caramelized, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir together vegetables and tomato paste. 4. Return meat to the pot. Pour in stock and 8cups water. Using kitchen string, tie sage, rosemary and bay leaves into a bundle and drop into pot. Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, partly covered, for 1 hour. 5. Stir in the carrots, parsnips, turnips, barley, 1 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer until barley is cooked through and meat is tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour more. Pull herb bunch from pot and discard. 6. Stir spinach and parsley into pot until wilted, 2to 3minutes (kale may take a few minutes longer), then stir in lemon zest and juice. If soup is too thick, thin it with a little water. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Serve with chiles, if you like.