Chinese Beef and Barley Soup Thermal Cooker recipe

My family loves our soups. A great big bowl of soup is just so comforting and homey. It keeps us warm and satisfied especially in this dreary wet season.

This beef and barley soup is another classic Chinese recipe. It is loaded with chunks of tender, juicy beef, plump grains of barley, and healthy mixed vegetables. The combination of flavours is absolutely delightful!

I rely on my thermal cooker to cook my soups as it gets the meat really tender without evaporating much of the liquid. But if you don't have a thermal cooker, you can cook this on the stove top, start off by making the delicious beef broth before adding the rest of the ingredients.

To ensure tender and flavourful beef, go for collagen-rich beef brisket that will melt in your mouth after long cooking.

Chinese Beef and Barley Soup

Ingredients:

500g beef brisket - cubed
1 onion - minced
3 cloves garlic - minced
3 bay leaves
1-2 tbsp butter
2 tomatoes - cut to bite-size pieces
1 carrot - cut to bite-size pieces
1 bowl barley
1 bowl frozen mixed vegetables
salt and pepper
1 tbsp. light soy sauce

Instructions:

1. Heat butter in the inner pot of thermal cooker, add onion and garlic, cook until fragrant
2. Add beef into pot, season generously with salt and pepper, cook till lightly browned
3. Add bay leaves and 1.5 litres of water, then bring to boil for 10 minutes
4. Put into thermal cooker and leave for 4-6 hours
5. 1 hour before serving, add the rest of the ingredients, season with light soy sauce and black pepper, bring to boil and put back in thermal cooker
6. Serve warm