A hearty, economical ground beef and barley soup.

Beef and Barley Soup

2 pounds lean ground beef

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

2 cups diced carrots

2 cups diced onion

2 cups diced celery

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups cooked barley

8 cups beef broth

2 (14 to16-ounce) cans Italian-style stewed tomatoes

1/2 cup dry red wine

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Balsamic vinegar (optional)

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook ground beef on medium-high heat until browned, breaking up with a spatula or fork as it cooks. Remove beef from pan and set aside.
2. Add oil to pan; add carrots, onion, celery and garlic; cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Return beef and all remaining ingredients, except parsley and optional vinegar. Bring to boil on high heat; reduce heat to a simmer, cover. Simmer 20 minutes.
4. Stir in parsley and taste. Adjust seasoning, adding more salt or pepper if needed, or a splash of balsamic vinegar if soup needs a little more zip.

Makes 8 servings.