Sunday, November 9, 2008

Beef, Barley and Vegetable Soup

Ever since the weather has turned rainy this November, my thoughts have been filled with hearty one-pot meals and homemade soups. I made this soup on Friday night and we ate it for every meal until Sunday lunch. It tasted better the longer it sat in the refridgerator. By Sunday it was perfectly delicious and we were sad to see the last bowl of soup go.


1-lb thin cut round steak, sliced thinly across grain and then diced into tiny cubes of beef
2 or 3 stalks of celery, diced small
3 large carrots, diced small
1/2 large green bell pepper, diced small
3/8 cup of uncooked barley
1 box-4 cups of Low Sodium Beef Broth
4 cups water
4 large scallions, sliced small
2 Tablespoons dehydrated onion
1 large bay leaf
seasoning salt
ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
Worcestershire sauce-couple of dashes
2 Tablespoons tomato paste

Heat a little olive oil on med-hi in a soup pot. Add chopped beef, celery, bell pepper, and carrots. Saute until meat is browned. Add all other ingredients except the barley and

bring to a boil. Season to taste. Add barley and cover. Simmer on low for 45 minutes until barley is cooked. Serve with crusty french bread.

This soup tastes even better the next day and each day afterwards. The flavors mingle and it is even more tasty.