This venison soup with vegetables and barley is one of those comfort food recipes that's even better the next day! Wild game is super filling.
I just love throwing a bunch of things in a large pot and making a filling, comforting bowl of soup. This venison soup is no exception! Wild game, vegetables, and barley all swimming in homemade stock? Yes!
Do you love tomato-based soups? My Venison Barley Soup is a great option to this one when maybe the root cellar is running on empty. I serve my soups and stews with bread on the side, but a great one-dish option is to go with Venison Pot Pie. Not into wild game or need to fee more people? Vegan Maple Baked Beans are just as hearty when served with a thick slice of sourdough.
Key Ingredients
Venison - I love using "stew meat" in recipes. It's so easy to just take the bits and bobs during butchering your large cuts and set them aside. You can also use beef chuck roast.
Barley - This grain adds a delightful chew!
Veggies - Whatever ya got in the root cellar. Doesn't matter if it's on its last legs, it'll do here. I like potatoes, celery, onions, carrots...
How to Make Venison Vegetable Soup
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Brown venison on all sides, let rest.
Step 2: Sauté veggies (except potatoes) to get a good start on colour.
Step 3: Add veg and meat to a large Dutch oven. Add potatoes.
Step 4: Add broth and water and cook the barley through.
FAQs
I love it all, but really any root veggies are perfect, bell peppers, too and celery. Just chop things up into relatively evenly-sized pieces that fit on a spoon. In the interest of keeping things simple, I rarely peel my carrots if I like how they look after a good scrub. I definitely never peel potatoes for soup. It holds them together, softens up in cooking, and adds so many nutrients to the dish.
Nope! As evidenced by our name here, we enjoy our Venison for Dinner! We are often able to bag a few deer each season, meaning our freezer is full of wild game so we center our recipe around it. Any "red meat" will do here, though. It can be bear, deer, or even beef. And I also love to use a hearty, familiar recipe like this to introduce people to wild game. They are used to the recipe so the new taste of wild game won't be as obvious and is easier to try out.
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
More Soup Recipes You'll Love
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Venison Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb venison stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 ribs celery diced
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 3 carrots scrubbed and chopped
- 2 potatoes chopped
- 1 cup pearled barley
- 4 cups beef broth
- 4 cups water
Instructions
- Cut stew meat into 1-inch cubes.
- Heat venison in skillet until browned on all sides, over low heat. Set aside.
- Add chopped celery, carrots, onion, and pepper to the skillet with some oil. Go for about 10 minutes over low.
- Transfer veggies and venison to a Dutch oven along with diced potatoes and barley.
- Add stock and water and stir to combine. Simmer on low, covered, for 2-3 hours.
- Give it a taste and add salt and pepper as desired.
Notes
- Use any red meat here, whether it's wild game or beef.
- Leftovers taste even better, in my opinion! Store them in the fridge, covered. The barley will continue to soak up the liquid so you might need to add more broth when reheating.
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