Crock Pot Beef and Barley Soup

Prep Time: 25 Minutes

Cook Time: 215 Minutes

Ready In: 240 Minutes

Servings: 4

I wanted a soup without any tomato in it for a very picky student who will not eat ANYTHING with tomato in it. This turned out to be a favorite!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs round steaks, cubed (*)

2 cups leeks, chopped

1 cup potato, diced (i like white)

2 cups carrots, chopped

4 -5 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1 teaspoon dried sage (finely crushed)

1/2 teaspoon thyme (finely crushed)

2 large bay leaves (or three small)

1/2-1 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper

6 cups low sodium beef broth (**)

3 cups water

1 1/4 cups pearl barley

Directions:

1. All ingredients except the barley can go directly into the crock pot.
2. Cook on high 4-5 hours or low 6-7 hours.
3. Add barley last hour.
4. Add more water if needed.
5. Don't forget to remove bay leaves before serving!
6. * I brown my meat first but that is a personal preference. I also trim every bit of fat that I can see the keep the calorie count down.
7. ** I use a homemade beef broth that is low sodium.

By RecipeOfHealth.com