Saskatchewan Agriculture Awareness Month - Quick & Easy Beef Barley Soup

October is Agriculture Awareness Month here in Saskatchewan. At WIA we are proud to work and live in such an Agriculture rich province.

To do our part in spreading awareness about our amazing industry, we have compiled fun facts and a few fall recipes that feature ingredients grown right here in our province. We explored our favorite recipes and consulted our in-house foodie, Kate Fraser, for her favorites. We have gathered recipes that feature grains, oil seeds, pulses and even spices that are grown here in Saskatchewan. These recipes will be split into 5 different blog posts.

Part #1: Quick & Easy Beef Barley Soup

To warm up on a cold windy fall day we thought we would start with an easy hearty soup by Kate Fraser! Three ingredients used in this recipe are well known to many Saskatchewan Farmers – Canola (canola oil), Beef and Barley.

Canola

A canola field is very easy to spot come mid-July in Saskatchewan. The “Sea of Yellow” that we marvel at are part of the 11 million acres of Canola planted in Saskatchewan annually. One tiny black Canola seed is 40% oil. The oil is used for salad oil, cooking oil and margarine. Canola oil does not break down at high temperatures making it ideal for sautéing, stir frying, deep frying and other high heat cooking needs. Canola meal, the byproduct of canola, makes up the other 60% of the seed. This canola meal is generally used as feed for livestock. 

Beef

Saskatchewan is the second largest beef producing province in Canada. The most common uses we have for cows is meat and milk. However all parts of cattle are used for various things. Connective tissue is used as gelatin, hooves can be used in dog treats, fat is added to some soaps and rubber tires and hide is used for leather products. Very little is wasted when it comes to cattle. 

Barley

Feed Barley is used for livestock feed while Pearled Barley is a health food used in soups and stews. But MALT Barley is a main ingredient in beer! The Saskatchewan Craft Brewers Association has 15 craft local breweries as members. Next time you reach for a cold one, try to find a locally made and sourced brew! You’d be surprised where some delicious beers are brewed in Saskatchewan.

Recipe:

Ingredients 

2 tbsp canola oil, or more as needed

~1lb stewing beef or your cut of choice

3 stalks celery, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 onion, peeled and diced

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

3 cloves garlic

1 cup pearl barley (or pot barley, it's your preference)

Beef broth

Dash cayenne powder

Sprinkle oregano

Sprinkle parsley

1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Add barley to a small pot and cover with beef broth 2cm above barley. Use broth for extra flavor. Cook over high heat until boiling then bring to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, add canola oil to a large Dutch oven pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and beef and sauté until cooked, about five minutes. Stir frequently.

3. Add broth to pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add in celery, carrots, and mushrooms along with the spices (except basil) and garlic.

4. Simmer and cover pot with lid over medium heat while the barley cooks. When getting close to complete, add in the fresh basil.

5. Add cooked barley into soup and enjoy!

Alternative: Add all ingredients into one pot and simmer for 2 or more hours. The longer it simmers, the better the flavour.