Beef Barley Soup

Beef Barley Soup (gingergrl)

This is one of my husband's favorite things for me to make - it's a combination of a couple recipes. It's really hearty and great for dinner on a cold night.

1 1/2 pounds boneless lean beef, cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
5 cans beef broth (College Inn is the best)
4 cups water
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
4 stalks celery, chopped
6 carrots, chopped
1 onion, diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
1 cup barley, picked through and rinsed
1 tsp dried thyme

In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the beef in the oil for 5 minutes, or until browned. Add salt pepper and garlic and cook another minute - place seasoned meat into a slow cooker. Add a little water to the skillet to pick up all the browned bits and add those too!

Add the remaining ingredients except for the thyme. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until the veggies and barley are tender. Add thyme 10 minutes before serving. If the soup gets too thick, add more broth or water.

(I don't always add the barley right away as it can get mushy - just be sure and add it at least 3 hours before you want to eat. Also, I use whatever beef is on sale, stew meat, london broil, chuck roast - it all comes out very tender. If you use a cut of meat that's on the bone, you'll get even more flavor in the soup. This is even better the next day and freezes really well - it's more like stew than soup!)