Hearty Beef Barley Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 or 4 beefy soup bones
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed or 1 tsp. garlic powder
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• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1/2 cup each: peas, diced carrots, cut green beans
• 1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes, (cut tomatoes in pieces) or 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 (24 oz.) boxes beef broth
• 1/4 cup pearl barley

Directions:

In a large soup pot, cover the bones in water, bring to a boil, cook for 15 minutes and then discard water. (this helps reduce the fat content)

Pour beef broth into the pot and simmer the bones for 2-3 hours until beef comes off the bones easily with a fork.

Using tongs, remove bones from pot, let cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones and return meat to the pot.

Add the vegetables and seasonings and simmer again until vegetables are cooked. (about 15 minutes)

While soup is cooking, in a medium saucepan, simmer the pearl barley in 3 cups water for 45 minutes until cooked and plump. Strain and add barley to the soup.

Simmer for 5 more minutes.

Enjoy with crusty bread, butter and sliced cheese.

Source: My mother made this for us when we were young. Now I serve it to my own family.

By ann from Goulais River, Ontario