Beef, barley and vegetable soup

Summary

Yield	Servings
Prep time	2 1⁄2 hours
Meal category	Lunch Dinner Soup
Recipe source	Meat and Livestock Australia

A hearty nourishing soup of beef, tender pearl barley and plenty of vegetables.

500	Gram	chuck steak (diced trimmed of fat)
1	Tablespoon (Metric)	olive oil
1		onion (chopped)
2		stalks celery (sliced)
2		carrots (chopped)
1		parsnip (chopped)
2		tomatoes (chopped)
1⁄2	Cup	barley
1	Litre	beef stock (salt reduced)
1	Litre	water
2		Zucchini (diced)
400	Gram	can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1	Cup	Frozen peas
		parsley (to serve)

Toss beef in oil, heat a wide saucepan or stockpot over medium-high heat and brown beef in 2 batches. Reduce heat to medium and add onion, celery, carrot, parsnip, tomatoes and barley. Add beef stock and 1 Lwater and bring to the boil.
Simmer for 2 hours or until beef and barley are tender. Add zucchini and kidney beans for the last 15 minutes of cooking. Add frozen peas for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Serve in large bowls with fresh chopped parsley.

Notes

Try serving soup with a dollop of pesto or a grating of parmesan.
Leftover soup freezes really well, so pour into plastic containers with tight fitting lids in individual portions and freeze for up to 3 months. Makes a great lunch to take to work or an easy dinner that can be reheated in minutes.

Recipe reproduced with permission from Meat and Livestock Australia. For more recipes visit www.beefandlamb.com.au