beef and barley soup (slow cooker)

We're big soup eaters in our house.  When I first heard New England was getting a little taste of that nice, crisp, cooler fall weather, I put this on the menu!  I often use the delay timer on my bread machine and serve this alongside some crusty french bread.  

This recipe makes a ton!  Soup only tastes better when left in the fridge for a few days so I often use the leftovers for lunches or dinner later in the week.  This recipe also freezes well.

You can add whatever vegetables your family likes best.  I usually use a bag of frozen mixed vegetables and then chop additional carrots and green beans because my kids prefer them.  The first time I made this soup I used vegetable broth and loved the results but you can use whatever you have on hand.

Beef and Barley Soup

Ingredients

• 1 (2-3 pound) beef chuck roast (cut up) OR 2-3 pounds stew meat
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 1b (or a couple of handfuls) of green beans
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
• 2 quarts vegetable broth (I use Nature's Promise)
• 1 T white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (28 ounce) can chopped stewed tomatoes with juice
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup barley

Directions

1. In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients except barley.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
2. During the last 30-40 minutes of cooking, add the barley and stir.  Serve hot!