Hearty Beef Barley Soup
Serves: 6
 
This is a wonderful, comforting dish for a chilly evening. See notes for pressure cooker and slow cooker instructions.
Ingredients
  • ½ pound lean ground beef
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 cup potato, cubed
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • ½ cup dried lentils
  • ¼ cup medium pearl barley
  • 4 cups water
  • 1½ teaspoons beef bouillon
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • a couple dashes pepper
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
Instructions
  1. In a large pot, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
  2. Add everything else to the pot, except the tomatoes. Bring to boil, then simmer for 45 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and heat through.
Notes
For pressure cooker, replace simmering time with 15 minutes at high pressure, then quick release.

For slow cooker, brown beef with onion in a skillet, then place it in the slow cooker with everything but the tomatoes. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours, or until vegetables and barley are tender. Stir in the tomatoes and serve.

You can find bags of barley at most grocery stores near the dry beans and rice. Pearl barley is most commonly available, and it cooks faster than regular barley.
Recipe by I Wish I Was a Muffin at https://iwishiwasamuffin.com/hearty-beef-barley-soup/