SOUP, there it is!

Confession?

I've never really been thaaaaaat into soup.

Too liquidy. Too slurpy. Too I-always-seem-to-dribble-it-on-my-chin.

Give me a nice hearty chunky soup though, and I can definitely get on board the soup train. For this soup, I decided to do low-and-slow with the beef so that it would be super tender. Instead of potatoes, beans, or noodles, I opted for barley. Barley, like its whole grain friends, is an excellent source of fiber and vitamins. Plus it's so easy- just dump it in towards the end and it plumps right up. It's a little chewy and compliments the tender meat.

Beef Barley Soup

-1 lb ribeye steak, left at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking, diced into 1" cubes

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

-1 teaspoon vegetable oil

-2 boxes low sodium beef broth

-2 bay leaves

-5-6 whole carrots, scrubbed and cut into coins (about 1 1/2 cups)

-1 small sweet onion, diced

-1 cup dry (pearled) barley

-1 cup frozen peas

-1 cup frozen cut green beans

-1 cup frozen corn kernels

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large Dutch oven over high heat, heat oil. Add steak and sprinkle salt and pepper. Let the meat sear for a few minutes, then stir it around for even cooking. After about 5 minutes of cooking, turn off the heat, pour in both boxes of broth and add bay leaves. Put the lid on and place in the oven for one hour.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the steak pieces and place in a bowl. Using two forks, shred the meat. It doesn't need to be completely shredded- just broken down a bit. Return to the Dutch oven, then stir in carrots, onions, and barley. Place in the oven for another 30 minutes.

About 10 minutes before serving, remove bay leaves and stir in frozen vegetables. That's it! Dinner's ready.

Makes six servings. Per serving: 370 calories, 37 grams carbohydrates (including 8 grams fiber), 15 grams fat, 21 grams protein, 440 mg sodium.