Beef and Barley Soup

I’ve always been a soup fan. Growing up in NH with its seemingly endless cold winters, soup is such comfort food. I am making my third batch of it today because it’s so delicious! Even my barley-disliking husband loves this soup. I make double batches because I give some to my widowed neighbor and for my elderly mother-in-law. Yes!! It’s that good!!

INGREDIENTS :

* 1 pound boneless chuck roast trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
* 1 1/2 cups carrots thinly sliced
* 1 1/2 cups celery thinly sliced
* 2/3 cup onion chopped
* 1 package pre-sliced mushrooms 8-ounce
* 2 tbs beef base (this is different than beef broth it is a base that makes beef broth)
* 8-10 cups water
* 1 large bay leaf

DIRECTIONS :

1. Brown beef in non-stick fry pan until browned, stirring frequently.
2. Remove beef from pan and place in crockpot, Add carrot, celery, onion, and mushrooms, beef base, water, garlic and bay leaf.

3. Cook on high heat for one hour, add pearl barley then turn down to low and cook till vegetables and beef are tender. Stir in salt and pepper.
4. Discard bay leaf.