bit late, but still good

once the three weeks it takes to find barley in the shops pass, you too can make this delicious soup!

Beef + Barley Soup

Ingredients:

-2 lbs stew beef, cut into 1" pieces

-2 cups chopped leek

-2 cups chopped carrot

-2 cups chopped celery

-2 cups chopped mushrooms

-4 garlic cloves, minced

-6 cups water

-1 1/2 tsp salt

-1 tsp thyme

-1/2 tsp ground black pepper

-4 bay leaves

-2 14-ounce cans beef broth (making your own with bullion also works, that's what I did)

-1 cup uncooked pearl barley

Directions:

1. Brown beef in a large pot, remove.

2. Saute garlic and vegetables until lightly browned.

3. Return beef to pan. Add the water spices and beef broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for one hour.

4. Add the barley and cool for 30 minutes or until the beef and barley are tender. Discard the bay leaves.

Notes:

- More beef broth should be added as necessary.

- By separating a portion of the vegetables, not returning any beef to them and substituting a vegetable stock for the beef broth, and vegetarian version of this soup can be made. Follow all other steps as is.