Best-ever Beef Barley Soup

Description: Soups are my very favorite thing to cook! Many great soup recipes have been collected over the 57 years I've been cooking.....and this is one of the best. It is easy and the catsup gives it a unique taste that everyone, kids especially, seem to really like. The recipe came from a daughter, who is a great cook.....Sarahloves2cook.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
• 6 cups water
• 3 beef bouillon cubes
• 2 cups sliced carrots
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 1/2 cups chopped green peppers
• 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup regular barley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1/3 cup catsup
• 1 (38 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, with their juice
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

Steps:

1. In Dutch oven or soup pot, saute ground beef until it loses its red color, breaking it up as it cooks.
2. (I use a two-tined cooking fork.) Add all other ingredients.
3. Simmer for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
4. Adjust seasonings, if necessary.