Tasty Tuesday - Beef Barley Soup

Lindsay hosts Tasty Tuesday over at Our Lives in a Nutshell. Head over there for more tasty and easy recipes! My family is still enjoying the pancake recipe she posted a while back.

Since Winter won't cut us a break around here, we're still in the thick of soup season.

This is one of my favs: Beef Barley Soup



It's thick, it's flavorful, and healthy.
I've modified the original recipe from my Eating for Life cookbook so it can be prepared in the crockpot.

Beef Barley Soup
Serves:6


Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
1 1/2 pounds top sirloin (I just use whatever roast type meat I have on hand) cut in 1in. cubes
4 cups beef broth
1 cup water
1 chopped onion
1 chopped stalk of celery
1 sliced carrot
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup pearl barley
1 bay leaf
10 oz frozen green beans
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
10 oz frozen green peas

1) In a large pot, over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the beef cubes and cook for about 8 minutes; stirring occasionally until browned on all sides.

2) Put browned meat in crockpot and add beef broth*, water, onion, celery, carrot, oregano, black pepper, garlic, and can of tomatoes

3) Cook on low 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.

4) 30-40 minutes before serving add frozen beans, peas, and barley (cook on high)


Enjoy!


and then enjoy the next day too when the meat is even more tender....

* I'm trying a new pot roast recipe this week that I'm hoping will leave me with enough broth that I won't have to use store-bought broth for this recipe. In order to buy broth that is even remotely healthy I have to spend six bucks...on broth. That's not OK. That would take up 1/4 of my grocery bill.
Yes, I said 1/4. We are eating for $22 this week.
How? By using things we already have on hand and only filling in the gaps. We're eating tater tot hotdish, tacos, pot roast, BLT's, and two meals of beef barley soup for $22 (that includes buying fresh fruit and a loaf of bread too)

What are you eating this week?