Hamburger Barley Soup

 

Ingredients 

• 1½ lb ground beef
• 1 onion minced
• 4 carrots minced
• 3 celery sliced thin
• ½ cup barley
• 28 oz diced tomatoes
• 4 cups beef broth
• 2 cups water
• 12 oz vegetable or tomato juice V8 or similar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 TB dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon ground garlic
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• Black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook, stirring and breaking the meat into small crumbles until evenly browned and no longer pink. Drain and discard excess grease.
• Stir in the onion, carrots, celery and barley. Pour in all the liquids (tomatoes, juice, beef broth, and water) and add the seasonings.
• Bring soup mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring frequently.
• Remove bay leaves before serving.