2 Pounds Tri-Tip or other lean cut of meat 2 Tbs. Olive Oil, divided 5 Carrots, divided 5 Celery Stalks, divided 1 Onion, large 10 Ounces White Mushrooms, or other kind of mushroom 4 Cloves Garlic 10 Cups Water 1.5 Cups Pearl Barley 4 Cups Vegetable Stock 1 Cup Chopped Tomatoes, or 2 cups 1 tsp. Coarse Ground Black Pepper 1 tsp. Salt, or more if needed 1 tsp. Thyme, fresh or dry 2 Bay Leaf 1 Tbs. Lemon Juice or Red Vinegar
Trim all visible fat from the meat.
Cut meat into small pieces, about one inch.
Add a tablespoon of oil to a large pan.
Place pan over high heat.
When oil is hot add about 1/3 of the meat.
Let the meat sit and sizzle in the pan.
Turn meat over and lightly brown the other side.
Place browned meat into a large soup pot.
Continue to brown all remaining meat in small batches.
Place all of the meat into the soup pot.
When all of the meat is cooked, add 2 cups of water to the empty pan.
The water will boil and absorb the flavors from the pan.
Let water boil for a half minute and pour into the soup pot.
Peel and cut onion in half.
Rinse off 3 carrots and 3 celery stalks.
Cut vegetables into large chunky pieces.
Place vegetables into the pot with the meat.
Add 8 cups of water to the pot.
Bring water to a boil and turn heat down to a simmer.
Use a strainer or ladle to remove any foam that comes to the top of the soup as it cooks.
Let the meat simmer for one hour.
When the meat begins to simmer you can start cooking the barley.
Place vegetable stock and barley into a pot.
Bring liquid to a boil and turn heat down to a simmer.
Simmer and stir the barley for about 40 minutes.
The barley will be almost cooked and all of the liquid will be absorbed.
While meat and barley are cooking you can prep the other ingredients.
Dice up 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks and the other half of the onion.
Wipe mushrooms clean and slice thin.
After one hour, remove the meat from the stove.
Strain the meat and vegetables.
The broth is now the stock for the soup.
Pick out and reserve the cooked meat.
The cooked vegetables have served their purpose and can be discarded or better yet enjoyed as a snack.
Clean out the soup pot and place back on the stove.
Heat level should be about the same as the simmer.
Add the diced carrot, celery and onion.
Add one tablespoon of oil.
Gently cook and stir the vegetables for around 10 minutes.
Vegetables will soften but not brown.
Add mushrooms to the pot.
Cook mushrooms for another 5 minutes.
Add chopped garlic to the pot and cook another few minutes.
At this point the barley and the vegetables are both ready for the next step.
Add the barley to the pot.
Add the cooked meat and the meat broth to the pot.
Add the spices, salt and pepper to the pot.
Add chopped tomatoes to the pot.
I add 2 cups but others prefer only 1 cup.
Bring soup to a boil.
Turn heat down to a simmer and cover the pot.
Simmer soup for 1 hour, stirring from time to time.
