Hamburger and Vegetable Soup

Scramble fry ground beef until no pink is showing. Drain off the grease then rinse the meat in a colander with hot water. Put meat in a crock pot or stock pot.

Prepare vegetables and add to the pot.

Add tomatoes and tomato sauce.

Dissolve bouillon cubes in 1 cup of hot water and add to the pot.

Add remaining water.

**NOTE** – If you are making the soup in a crockpot use 8 cups of water and 2 cubes of each bouillon. If you are making it in a stock pot use 12 cups of water and 3 cubes of each bouillon. The soup will cook down more on the stovetop so you will want more liquid.

Add pepper.

Stir ingredients together.

Tuck the bay leaves in the top of the soup so they are covered by the liquid.

In the crock pot, cook for eight hours. One hour before serving, add 1/3 cup of pearl barley.

In the stock pot, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Check and stir every 15 – 30 minutes. Simmer for a couple hours to blend flavours. The longer it simmers, the better it tastes. Thirty minutes before serving, add 1/3 cup of pearl barley.

Before serving, remove the bay leaves. They should not be eaten.