French Onion And Barley Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Combine boiling water and shiitakes in a bowl; cover and let stand 30 minutes. Drain the shiitakes in a colander over a bowl, reserving liquid. Slice shiitakes, discarding stems.
• Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, shallots, ginger, and garlic; sauté 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Add the shiitakes, button mushrooms, sugar, and beef.
• Sauté 10 minutes, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add reserved mushroom liquid, 4 cups water, and the next 4 ingredients (water through consommé); bring to a boil.
• Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 50 minutes or until barley is tender. Stir in 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
• Preheat broiler.
• Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 ovenproof soup bowls; top each serving with 2 bread slices and 2 tablespoons cheese.
• Broil 3 inches from heat 1 minute or until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, brown the ground beef. Remove beef from pan; drain and set aside.
• Add the onions to the Dutch oven. Cook over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
• Add the browned beef, broth, pepper, and bay leaf; mix well. Bring to a boil. Add barley. Reduce heat; simmer 8 to 10 minutes, or until barley is tender.
• To serve, remove and discard bay leaf. Ladle soup into 4 individual soup bowls. Top each with 2 toast quarters and 1 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a saucepan, then add the onions, garlic, thyme, sugar and a good pinch of salt. Cook on a medium-low heat for 15-20 mins or until golden coloured. Add the stock and simmer for a further 10 mins.
• In a separate large saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the barley for 15 mins, adding the cavolo nero or kale for the final 3 mins of cooking. Drain and rinse under cold water, then add to the soup and warm through.
• Heat the grill. Top the toasted bread with cheese and place under the grill until it's bubbly and melted. Serve in 2 large bowls with the cheesy croutons on top.

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Lightly season lamb with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat the oil in a 7- to 8-quart Dutch oven over medium-high until shimmering. Add the lamb shanks and cook, turning occasionally, until well-browned on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the lamb to a rimmed baking sheet or large plate, and set aside.
• Add the onions, leeks and carrots to the Dutch oven. Reduce heat to medium. Season lightly with salt and cook, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the Dutch oven with a wooden spoon, until the onions and leeks are as caramelized as you'd like, about 20 minutes for lightly caramelized onions that give the stew a more savory flavor, or 45 minutes or longer for deeply caramelized onions that will make the stew sweeter. If browned bits start building up on the bottom of the pot, add water a tablespoon at a time, scraping them up and reincorporating them before continuing.
• When the onions are ready, add the garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and stir until it evenly coats all of the vegetables. Add the wine, scrape the bottom and sides of the pot, and cook until the wine is reduced by at least half, a minute or two. Add the chicken stock and the rosemary. (Tie the rosemary into a bundle with kitchen twine if you want to make it easier on yourself later.)
• Return the lamb shanks to the pot. Increase heat to high, bring the pot to a simmer, and transfer to the oven. Place a lid on top, leaving it cracked by an inch or so. Cook for 2 1/2 hours, then remove from oven. Flip the lamb, and stir the barley and spinach into the broth, making sure it's all submerged. Return to the oven, cover with the lid cracked, and continue cooking until a metal skewer inserted into the lamb meets very little resistance, the meat falls off the bone with a little tug, and the barley is fully cooked but still chewy, 30 to 45 minutes longer.
• Transfer the pot to the stovetop, remove and discard the rosemary, and adjust the consistency to a saucy, stewlike mixture by simmering to thicken, or thin it out by adding water. Stirring as you go to prevent the bottom from sticking. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.