I love making one meal and then having enough leftover ingredients to create one or two more meals out of it….I like to think of it as my holiday spirit that stays with me throughout the entire year. When I get in the kitchen to cook for family and friends, I tend to go overboard with the amount of food that I like to make. I like to accomplish a few things when I cook: to make sure everyone is too full to walk after dinner, that there is plenty for doggie bags and once all that is said and done, enough for me to make a few leftover meals. I don’t care if it’s a simple sandwich, I just like leftovers and getting creative with them!
So when my trip to the Lone Star State inspired me to try my hand at brisket tacos, the amount of meat I came home with was to be expected. When I cut loose and to head to the store on my own with no wifely supervision, I tend to go a little crazy. This day was no exception. I decided that I needed a 5 pound brisket to make this happen, with leftovers in mind, of course. There was no party planned and no guests with this one, just a simple meal for Jenn and I.
So to cut this novel down, the brisket tacos came out amazingly well and I knew I needed to make a brisket soup with the wonderful broth that was left in the crock pot. I strained the broth into a sauce pot and then went from there, using a heap of the leftover beef to add to my soup! Nothing wasted! I hope you enjoy this warm and hearty soup by a crackling fire with a glass of red wine and good company.
- 2 cups reserved beef stock from beef brisket tacos,
- 4 cups low sodium beef stock
- ½ tsp. salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ large onion, diced
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 cup frozen peas or green beans
- 1 cup leftover beef brisket, chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- ¼ cup dry barley
- ½ cup water
- Strain leftover beef stock from crock pot into a large sauce pan
- Add low sodium beef stock, salt, pepper, garlic and mix well. Taste and make adjustments.
- Add celery, carrot, onion, garlic, tomato, beans, brisket and bay leaves. Mix well.
- Bring to a low boil, cover and cook for 30-45 minutes or until the veggies reach your desired tenderness..
- While the soup is cooking, in a separate, small, sauce pan, add the barley and ½ cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook according to package instructions, about 20 minutes.
- Once the soup is done cooking, remove bay leaves, stir in the barley.
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