Comforting like classic beef barley, this venison barley soup is a huge in a bowl! Use tomatoes and bacon to increase flavour.
I love comfort in a bowl! Feeding people is a gift many have, and this is the perfect recipe for sharing that gift. Whether feeding your house or sending a pot of soup up the road, this is a super easy recipe that can simmer away while you work.
Picking up barley in bulk? It's also great in Pumpkin Squash Stew or you can mill it into flour and make Barley Pancakes. Grab another Dutch oven and pop some Dutch Oven Sourdough in the oven and dinner is set.
Key Ingredients
Venison - This soup simmers for at least an hour, so this is your chance to chuck in those tougher cuts. I always label "stew meat" as the bits and pieces we pick off the bones as we butcher other cuts.
Bacon - This is perfect for frying up the other ingredients, adding an excellent layer of flavour.
Onions - Pick whatever onions are in the root cellar. Red will mellow out in a soup.
Barley - I love this chewy, nutty grain to make soup really feel hearty.
Tomatoes - A great way to use what you have preserved!
How to Make Barley Soup with Venison
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Cook bacon and chop.
Step 2: Add onions to the bacon fat and cook til translucent.
Step 3: Stir in venison and brown on all sides.
Step 4: Stir in tomatoes and seasoning.
Step 5: Add broth and water.
Step 6: Stir in barley and simmer for an hour.
FAQs
If you are a beef family, go ahead and use your stew meat. Really any sort of red meat or a mixture will work. And if you have less than the called for amount, there's still plenty to go around. You can select cheaper, tougher cuts because we simmer over low for at least an hour, making them easy to chew.
I call for two cups but really, soup is SO forgiving. These aren't our main source of liquid, so you can easily change things up. Use any can you have in the pantry, or a quart jar you put up yourself. Whole tomatoes work fine, just mash them up with your wooden spoon when you pour them in.
Always a loaf of crusty bread at our house! I like to make extra bread and stick a loaf in the freezer, too. That means you can always have bread when the soup craving strikes. Any type is good, whether focaccia, bread sticks, or even just crackers.
Just cool it on the counter and pop in the fridge in containers. You can easily freeze small portions as well to pull out for lunches. I love to have "individual" servings in the freezer for me and little kids when the bigs go out hunting. Keep in mind that the barley will continue to soak up liquid in the fridge, so you might need to add more broth or water when it comes time to reheat.
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
More Venison Recipes
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Venison Barley Soup
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds venison stew meat
- 2 onions any colour
- 6 strips bacon
- 2 cups diced tomatoes see notes
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 quart beef broth
- 1 quart water
- 1 cup barley
Instructions
- Cut venison into 1-inch cubes. Set aside.
- Fry bacon in a dutch oven and chop.
- Dice onions and sauté with bacon and bacon fat until onions are soft and translucent.
- Add venison to brown on all sides. Stir in tomatoes and seasonings.
- Stir in broth and water.
- Add the barley and stir.
- Cover and simmer over medium low for at least an hour, until barley is tender.
Notes
- I like 2 cups of tomatoes in my soup, but this is of course very forgiving. You can use home canned, or a small or large can from the store. A small can at the store is just under 2 cups, technically.
- Use any type of broth. The tomatoes and bacon add a lot of flavour so even chicken broth is just fine.
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