Beef & Barley Soup

This was so good and froze really well! Very filling for a soup - Tyler said you could go fight a bear in the Alaskan wilderness after eating it. We used leftover roast and it was so good. 

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 (we ended up adding a lot more water - just add as needed)

1 - 2 tsp kosher salt, to taste

2 bay leaves - I didn't have bay leaves but just added thyme

2/3 cup dry barley

fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Heat a large heavy pot or dutch oven on medium heat. Add oil and beef, season with a little salt and brown meat a few minutes. When meat is browned, add carrots, onion, celery and garlic to the pot and give it a good stir. *If starting with cooked meat, just saute the veggies in the oil first, then add the meat with everything else as follows* Add water, salt and bay leaves and bring to a boil. When boiling, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer covered over low heat until the meat is soft, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours *Just until veggies are soft if meat is cooked*. Add the barley, adjust the salt if needed and add fresh ground pepper. Simmer an additional 30-35, remove bay leaves and serve. Makes 7 1/2 cups.