Beef Barley Soup

I just made this up as I went along. Obviously you can follow the basics and totally make it your own.

• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 large carrots, peeled & chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• olive oil
• flour
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 large red potatoes, skins on, cut into cubes
• some kind of beef, preferrably stew meat, but leftover chunks of chain meat is great too
• dried parsley
• beef stock/beef broth
• 1/2 cup pearl barley

Heat about 2tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat.

Roll onions, carrots & garlic around in some flour, then add to the pot. Stir to coat. Saute about 5 minutes so onions begin to soften.

Add meat. Stir to combine.

Add enough broth so that everything is covered by at least 2 inches of liquid.

Add can of tomatoes (juices and all), and bring to a gentle boil. Add potatoes and barley.

Cover, turn down heat to about medium, maybe medium-low.

Let simmer for about 40 minutes until potatoes and barley are fully cooked.

Salt & pepper to taste.

Other things you could add include:

- 1 tsp worchestershire sauce

- shredded cabbage, mushrooms, celery, etc.

(Hearty soup in the hands of my sick husband...)