Beef and Barley Soup

Ingredients

• AmountIngredientEst. cost
• 300 g medium ground beef $5.70
• 150 g pearl barley, dry $0.84
• 2 cans (900 mL total) beef broth $3.00
• 1 can (796 mL) diced tomatoes $2.00
• 2 medium carrots, diced $0.59
• 2 stalks celery, diced $0.50
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced $1.23
• 3 cloves garlic, minced $0.24
• 1 tbsp tomato paste $0.10
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil $0.06
• 1 tsp dried thyme $0.05
• 0.5 tsp smoked paprika $0.03
• 500 mL water $0.00
• to taste salt and pepper $0.02
• Recipe total$14.36

Instructions

1. 1 Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and brown, breaking it apart — about 8 minutes. Drain fat.
2. 2 Add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook 5 minutes until softened.
3. 3 Add garlic, tomato paste, thyme, and paprika. Cook 1 minute.
4. 4 Add the diced tomatoes, broth, and water. Stir well.
5. 5 Bring to a boil. Add the barley. Stir, then reduce heat to a steady simmer.
6. 6 Cook uncovered 40–45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the barley is tender and the soup has thickened.
7. 7 Taste and adjust salt. Add more water if the soup gets too thick — barley absorbs a lot of liquid.
8. 8 Serve hot. The soup thickens even more the next day; thin with water when reheating.

Nutrition per Serving

Estimated values per serving.