2 Blue's Beef Barley Soup Submitted by: 2 Blue Recipe Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 lb beef sirloin steak, cubed small 2 garlic cloves, minced 8 cups beef broth (we use Better Than Bullion paste) 2 beef bouillon cubes 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 cup pearl barley 1 teaspoon dried parsley 1/2 teaspoon basil 1/4 teaspoo n crushed red pepper flakes (optional) 1 bay leaf 3 carrots, sliced 4 stalks celery, chopped, 1 onion, chopped into large pieces 6 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional) * salt and black pepper, to taste Cooking Directions: 1.  Preparing Barley: Like all grains, before cooking barley, rinse it thoroughly under running water and then remove any dirt or debris that you may find. 2.  In a large dutch oven heat oil over medium heat, Add meat and garlic. Cook until meat is browned; drain if necessary. 3.  Stir in remaining ingredients except salt & black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally until barley and carrots are tender and fully cooked. 4.  Season to taste with salt & black pepper and serve. NOTES: Add more water if soup becomes too thick upon standing. Pearl barley takes a minimum of 1 hour to cook, whereas hulled barley takes 1.5 hours or more.     All recipes are listed in good faith and Nuts.com fully respects copyright protection and private property of original recipe authors. If a recipe is listed against an author's wishes, please contact us and we will remove the recipe immediately.