Recipe: Hearty Vegetable Barley Soup

HEARTY VEGETABLE BARLEY SOUP

1/2 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
7 cups water
1 (16 oz) can no-salt-added tomatoes, undrained, chopped
1/2 cup medium Quaker Barley*
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup sliced carrots
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 tsp basil
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen mixed vegetables

In 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, brown ground beef.

Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is tender; drain.

Add remaining ingredients except frozen vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add frozen vegetables; cook 10 to 15 minutes or until vegetables and barley are tender. Add additional water if soup becomes too thick upon standing.

*NOTE: To use Quick QUAKER Barley, substitute 2/3 cup quick barley for medium barley and decrease water to 6 cups. Cook ground beef, onion and garlic as directed above. Add remaining ingredients including frozen vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables and barley are tender.

Makes 10 servings (1 cup each)
Source: Recipe booklet: Quaker's Best Barley Recipes, The Quaker Oats Company, 1992