Gluten-Free Beef "Barley" Soup

This is a modification of the Beef Barley Soup from this website, to make it gluten-free.

Servings: 7

Author: Cooking Classy with help from Craving Some Creativity

2 lbs chuck roast, trimmed of excess chunks of fat cut into 3/4-inch cubes
3 Tbsp olive oil
1½ cups chopped carrots (about 3)
1 cup chopped celery (about 2 ribs)
2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 large)
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1½ Tbsp minced garlic (4 cloves)
2 (32oz) cartons certified gluten-free beef broth (e.g. Pacific Foods or Swanson)
1 Tbsp gluten-free Tamari (e.g. San-J) or Coconut Aminos
2 tsp certified gluten-free Worcestershire sauce (e.g. US Lea & Perrins or French's)
2 tsp minced fresh rosemary or ½ tsp dried
2 tsp minced fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup whole grain sorghum (closest match to barley's shape, texture and nutty flavor) OR Long-Grain Brown & Wild Rice Blend, OR, for a grain-free alternative, 2 cups peeled, ½-inch cubed potatoes.
3 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

Sear Beef: Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Pat 2 lbs trimmed chuck roast cubes dry with paper towels and sear in batches, seasoning with salt and pepper, until golden brown (about 3 minutes on bottom, 1 minute after flipping). Take care not to overcrowd. Transfer to a plate.
Saute veggies: Add 1 Tbsp oil to now empty pot. Add carrots, celery and onion and saute 3 minutes.
Cook tomato paste: Add tomato paste and garlic and saute 1 minute.
Add liquids and GF seasonings: Pour in gluten-free broth, Tamari or Coconut Aminos, gluten-free Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Return beef and juices to pot. Bring mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until beef is fairly tender, about 45 – 60 minutes until beef starts to become tender.
Add Grain Substitute:
If using Whole Grain Sorghum: Stir in 1 cup rinsed sorghum. Cover and simmer on low for 55 to 60 minutes until tender with a chewy bite.
If using Brown & Wild Rice Blend: Stir in 1 cup rinsed rice blend. Cover and simmer on low for 40 to 45 minutes.
If using Diced Yukon Gold Potatoes (Grain-Free Alternative): Stir in 2 cups peeled, ½-inch cubed potatoes during the final 20 to 25 minutes of simmering.
Finish with parsley: Stir in parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Sear beef in olive oil, then transfer all ingredients (using Whole Grain Sorghum or Brown/Wild Rice) to the slow cooker except parsley. Cook on Low for 7 to 8 hours. Stir in fresh parsley right before serving.

Brown beef using "Sauté" mode. Reduce total broth volume to 7 cups (56 oz). Add all ingredients except parsley. Cook on Manual / High Pressure for 25 minutes (allowing sorghum or brown rice to fully soften alongside the beef chuck), then perform a natural pressure release for 15 minutes before releasing any remaining steam.

Label Verification: Confirm Worcestershire sauce explicitly lists "Gluten-Free" on the bottle label.
Broth Audit: Check broth ingredient statements to ensure zero wheat, yeast extracts, or hydrolyzed wheat proteins are listed.
Grain Rinse: Rinse sorghum or brown rice blend thoroughly in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water before adding to the pot.
Reheating Reserve: Grain substitutes continue absorbing liquid as the soup sits; keep 1 cup of extra gluten-free broth available to adjust thickness when reheating leftovers.

Cut the veggies somewhat thick, they’ll simmer a long time and those carrots can tend to get too soft.
Brown the beef first, this adds a rich layer of flavor.
Let the soup simmer low and slow, so beef comes out tender.
Saute the tomato paste to help boost flavor and lightly caramelize it.
Add grain halfway through simmering for lightly chewy texture.

Replace 1/2 cup of the broth with 1/2 cup dry red wine.
Add other vegetables like mushrooms, green beans, canned tomatoes, potatoes or peas. Green beans and peas can be added closer to the end.
If adding more veggies you may want a little more broth as well.
Add other herbs for more flavor like bay leaves or marjoram. Or try seasoning with Italian seasoning.
Use ground beef instead of chuck roast. If doing so add grain in step 6 then skip the second simmer time.