Farm Style Crock Pot Beef & Barley Soup
by Tiffany Salveson
On a frozen Eastern Montana day, one of the best feelings is coming in from the cold to thaw out. Your toes and fingertips have a biting pain in them from getting too cold, your eyelashes are sprinkled with frost, and you’re covered in hay dust, manure, and God only knows what else is on that dirty coat. As a woman living on a ranch outside Glendive, Montana, I am constantly juggling this lifestyle with my full-time job in town, my own side businesses, and working to make sure my fiancé, who feeds us all, is fed.
During a normal work week, Seth wakes up extra early to make my coffee for me before I leave for town. After a kiss goodbye, we won’t see each other for the rest of the day, but I know his day will be anything but luxurious. After I leave for work, he will spend the rest of the morning making sure everyone else is taken care of before he takes care of himself. The cows will be fed their balanced diets based on their nutrient requirements at the time, the ice will be broken, and the one cow he saw walking a little slower will be brought in so we can keep an eye on her and make sure she is cared for. As a woman on the ranch, I am not just a companion—Seth and I are teammates. We take care of the cows and we take care of each other.
Some days, I stay at work later than normal, or I get groceries and dog food and pick up a pack of colostrum replacer for the calving box on my way home. Or maybe I get home before dark, but the moment I pull in the yard, we need to get a cow in or Seth needs someone to drive him up to the tractor. Maybe it’s just been a long week and we want to spend the time together doing the things we love—listening to music and talking about plants. Whatever the situation, I don’t always have the time to prepare a 3-course meal. Living out of town means grocery runs don’t happen for forgotten items. I’m lucky if I have even a portion of the ingredients my last-minute Pinterest recipes call for.
Most days after chores, Seth will go down to his parents’ house, just a mile from ours, and his mom always has something stewing for lunch. She’s one ranch woman I’ve looked up to since we met and I know I have a lot to live up to! On the rare occasion she takes a day off, I try to make sure Seth has a warm lunch to come home to. My Crock Pot is my saving grace. It gives me options and time: both of which are important when living a rural lifestyle. For lunch or dinner, this soup is a comfort food we crave on long days on the farm and ranch.
There is a lot of flexibility when it comes to making beef and barley soup. We use what we have, and we get by without certain things when we need to. It’s easy to round up things that you have on-hand without having to get groceries on those days you need a last-minute meal or when you just want to be home after work. This recipe can be thrown together quickly, put in the Crock Pot, and be ready by lunch or by dinner. (You can also make it on the stove within minutes if you’d like). I hope this recipe meets you with some comfort and ease in all of our busy schedules, no matter what kind of work we do throughout the day.
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1½ lb ground beef
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp Alpine Touch
1½ lb red potatoes, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2-4 carrots, peeled and cut
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2½ Tbsp Better Than Bouillon, Beef flavored
2 tsp Worcestershire
1 can beef broth
8 cups water (can add more if desired)
2/3 cup barley
1 can of corn
Handful of green beans
2 springs thyme
2 bay leaves
Optional (for extra warmth):
1 jalapeño pepper, finely diced
Dash of red pepper flakes
Instructions
In a cast iron skillet, add olive oil and ground beef. Add salt, pepper, and Alpine Touch while browning burger.
Toss onion and jalapeño into the skillet and sauté for about 2 minutes.
Add burger mixture to Crock Pot.
Add remaining ingredients to Crock Pot. Stir & combine.
Cover & cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
Remove bay leaves & thyme stems and serve.
Goes perfectly with some crusty bread.
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