I want to make a barley soup like the kind my grandmother used to make, but with beef. The problem is it never turns out with the consistency I want - it always ends up too watery. How much barley should I use and how long do I need to cook it to get it nice and thick?
Barley absorbs a ton of liquid while it's cooking, so the trick is not to be shy with the amount: I'd say for every liter of broth use about a cup of barley, maybe a bit more if you want it really thick. Let it cook for at least an hour and a half, two hours if you've got the time, because barley needs quite a bit of time to soften up properly and release the starch that's what makes the soup thicken. If it still comes out too watery, you can cook it uncovered for the last thirty minutes to reduce the broth, or just add a bit more barley halfway through cooking. The important thing is to taste as you go and adjust based on what you see, because it depends a lot on what type of barley you use and how much liquid your pot evaporates.
You need to let the barley cook for quite a while, at least 45-50 minutes, because that's what makes it release the starch and naturally thicken all the broth 🍲 When I make mine I use about a cup and a half of barley per liter of broth with the meat, and the important thing is that you don't strain it or cover the pot completely: with the pot half-uncovered the barley breaks down a bit and helps it thicken. If it still comes out thin, you can let it simmer uncovered for the last 15 minutes so more liquid evaporates, or you can just mash some of the cooked barley with a fork and put it back in the pot.
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