Beef and Mushroom Soup with Whole Grain Berries

From the garden

• ¾ cup whole grain berries (barley, wheat, rye, or spelt-type), rinsed · quinoa, rice, or buckwheat also work; see the timing in step 4
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, sliced into coins
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

From the pantry

• 1½ lb beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 8 cups beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• salt · to taste
• black pepper

1. Pat the beef dry and season it well with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high. Brown the beef in two batches, 3–4 minutes per batch, turning so most sides get dark and crusty. Crowding the pot steams the meat instead of browning it, so give it room. Move the beef to a plate.
2. Add the mushrooms to the pot and cook 5–6 minutes, stirring now and then, until they release their liquid, it cooks off, and they start to brown. Add the onion, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt and cook 5 minutes more until the onion is soft.
3. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute, until the paste darkens a shade and smells sweet. Pour in the stock, scraping up every browned bit from the bottom. Return the beef and its juices, add the thyme sprigs and bay leaves, and bring to a boil.
4. Lower to a gentle simmer, cover partway, and cook 30 minutes. Then stir in the rinsed grain berries. Barley, wheat, rye, and spelt-type berries need 45–60 minutes from here (soaking them overnight trims that to about 35). If you are using rice or quinoa, wait until the beef has simmered a full 60 minutes before adding them; they need only 15–20 minutes. Buckwheat needs about 15 and goes in last. Rinse homegrown quinoa very well first to wash off its bitter saponin coating.
5. Simmer until the beef is fork-tender and the grains are plump and chewy with no chalky center. The berries drink up broth as they cook; add a cup of water if the soup gets thicker than you like. Fish out the thyme stems and bay leaves.
6. Taste and season with salt, plenty of pepper, and the Worcestershire if using. Ladle into bowls and finish with parsley. Crusty bread on the side is traditional.