Beef Barley Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp oil
• 1-1/2 lbs lean beef round stew meat
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 cups water
• 1 – 2 tsp kosher salt, to taste
• 2 bay leaves
• 2/3 cup dry barley
• Fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat a large heavy pot or Dutch oven on medium heat. Add oil and beef, season with a little salt. Brown meat a few minutes.
2. When meat is browned, add carrots, onion, celery and garlic to the pot and give it a good stir.
3. Add water, salt and bay leaves and bring to a boil. When boiling, reduce heat to low. Simmer covered over low heat until the meat is soft, about 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
4. Add the barley, adjust the salt if needed and add fresh ground pepper. Simmer an additional 30-35 minutes, remove bay leaves and serve. Makes 7 1/2 cups.

This article first appeared in the February 2018 edition of the HealthPerks newsletter.