Beef & Barley Soup Rootitoot

By Meisje

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef or diced stew beef
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup water
• 4 small carrots, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 14-oz can whole or diced tomatoes, with juice
• 6 cups beef broth
• 1/2 tsp thyme or rosemary
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 - 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup pearl or pot barley

Preparation

Step 1

Hit Saute and add the oil to the pot, swirling to coat the bottom. When it's shimmering, add the beef and brown it well, breaking it up with a spoon. Drain off excess fat and add the onions. Continue sauteing for a couple of minutes.

Add the water and thoroughly deglaze the pan: scrape every bit of the brown off the bottom into the water. Hit Cancel and add all other ingredients.

Close the lid and make sure the valve is set to Sealing. Hit Pressure Cook (or Manual) and adjust the time using the + and - buttons to 24 minutes. When it beeps that it's done, flip the valve to Venting for a quick release. When the pin drops, open the pot.

Remove the bay leaf and taste and add salt and pepper to taste. This is one of those “even better the second day” recipes. And it freezes beautifully.