Beef Barley Soup

Ingredients: 

• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb stewing beef,
• 2 med carrot, grated
• 1 med onion, minced
• 10 x cloves roasted garlic, minced
• 1/2 c. red wine OR
• 1/2 c cider with 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 796 ml can tomatoes
• 6 c. Beef or vegetable stock
• 1/2 c. barley
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. horseradish
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper 

Directions 

1.     Roast garlic by cutting the top ½ inch off a head of garlic. Wrap it in foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. When cool, you can squeeze the roast garlic out of the skins.

2.     In a large soup pot, heat the oil. Add in the beef, carrots and onion; sauté/fry for 4 min or until beef is browned.

3.     Add the roasted garlic and wine (or cider/cider vinegar mix) and continue cooking for  2 to 3 min.

4.     Add in the tomatoes and their juice, stock, barley,  thyme, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, salt and black pepper.

5.     Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer another 40 minutes or until  the barley is tender.

Serves 6.