Beef and Barley Soup
City/Region: United States of America
Time Period: 1887
The food on Ellis Island could be pretty good or pretty terrible depending on when you were there. The quality went up and down a lot, but the food was always free to those who were staying on the island.
A menu for the midday meal on Tuesday, January 20, 1920 lists English Beef Soup with Barley, Lamb Stew with Vegetables, Bread and butter substitute, Tapioca Pudding, Coffee.
This recipe doesn’t use a lot of meat, but the marrow melts into the broth and there are plenty of vegetables and flavor, making for a hearty soup.
Ingredients:
- Beef shank, enough to get 1 lb (1/2 kg) meat
- 6 quarts (5 1/2 L) water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 carrot
- 2 turnips
- 1 head of celery
- 2 tablespoons pearl barley
- 1 teaspoon powdered summer savory
- 1 lb (1/2 kg) potatoes, I used yellow potatoes
Instructions:
- Cut the meat off of the bones, then cut the meat into about 1-inch pieces.
- Add the meat and the bones to the 6 quarts of water in a large pot. Bring it to a boil. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Put the lid on, reduce the heat to a gentle boil, and let it cook for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, stir in the salt and pepper. Put the lid back on and cook it for another hour.
- Meanwhile, peel the carrot and turnips and chop them and the celery into small pieces.
- Add the chopped carrot, turnips, and celery to the pot along with the pearl barley and summer savory. Boil for 15 minutes while you chop the potatoes, then add them to the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes without the lid.
- After the soup has simmered, remove the bones. Dish it into bowls and serve it forth with Tapioca Pudding for an Ellis Island meal.