VIDEO: Quick & Easy Beef Barley Vegetable Soup

A warm bowl of soup on a cold fall or winter day provides more than just comfort for your soul. When done right, it’s also an affordable way to incorporate a lot of veggies and whole grains into your meal, to stay hydrated and to ease or stave off cold and flu symptoms.

This beef barley vegetable soup is a quick version of a classic. It freezes well, so make an extra batch or save the leftovers if you’re cooking for one or two.

Quick & Easy Beef Barley Vegetable Soup

(Downloadable/printable pdf version of this recipe)

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon canola oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
4 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
8 ounces lean sirloin steak, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
15-ounce can of low-sodium diced tomatoes
1/4 head of green cabbage, chopped
1/3 cup pearl barley
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed celery seed
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Black pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large saucepan, sauté onion in canola oil over medium heat until soft. Add carrots and celery and sauté 5-10 minutes. Add broth, meat, tomatoes, cabbage, barley, parsley, onion powder, celery seed, oregano and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: 310 Calories; 6 grams Fat; 2 grams Saturated Fat; 30 mg Cholesterol; 250 mg Sodium; 35 grams Carbohydrates; 13 grams Sugar; 7 grams Fiber; 26 grams Protein