Beef Barley Soup
Ingredients
2 pounds stew meat
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons oil
10 cups water
3 tablespoons beef base, mounded
2 cups celery, chopped
2 onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 large potato, peeled and shredded, about
2 cups
3-4 large carrots, peeled and shredded
1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
Preparation
Generously salt and pepper the beef. In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it is very hot, add about 1/3 of the meat. Brown for about 1-2 minutes, then turn to brown the other side. Remove to a plate when it is browned on all sides. Repeat with remaining meat in 2 more batches. (If you add it all at once it will steam the meat instead of browning it - not what you want.) In a large pan, brown the meat according to the instructions. Remove the browned meat to a large crockpot. Add 2 cups of the water to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir up all the browned bits. Add this and the remaining 8 cups of water to the crock pot. Add the beef base, celery, onions, and garlic to the slow cooker and stir. Cook on low for about 6 hours. Add the potatoes and carrots and cook for another hour. Add the barley and simmer for another hour or so, until it is tender.
