Umami Soup

1. 1

   (See notes below.)

2. 2

   The night before, make the beef stock. Bring to a boil the water, beef, peppercorns, bay leaves, cloves, anise, and veggies. Reduce heat and simmer. (Variety is important here. I use scraps of onions, celery, carrots, and a few cloves of garlic. Don't use potatoes or anything starchy.)

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   Let it simmer for 2 to 3 hours if you can handle it, then turn off the heat and allow it to cool. Use tongs to remove the beef to a bowl, then strain the broth into the bowl through the finest mesh strainer you have. (You can use a bacon splatter shield on top of the bowl if you have one.)

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   Cover and refrigerate overnight.

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   The next day, the fat will have separated and the flavors will have settled. Remove half the fat and set aside.

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   In a soup pan, heat olive oil and saute the onion until translucent.

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   While that's going on, toast the barley in another pan using butter and olive oil. Toast over high heat, stirring frequently until it darkens in color and smells nutty.

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   To the onion, add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then add stock, barley, mushrooms and Better Than Bouillion to the pan. Go easy on the Better Than Bouillon; we will be adding soy sauce as well later. It's better that the broth taste thin at this point. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 45 minutes. Add spinach, soy sauce, and cook for 5 minutes.

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   Notes:

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    I used short ribs to make the stock because they're fatty and that's generally delicious for stock. I didn't love the meat in the soup though, so I'll be tossing that in the crockpot for something else.

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    Don't not toast the barley. It's a pain but totally worth it, and intrinsic to the taste of the soup.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.