Barley soup (homemade)

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g soup meat (beef)
• 1 ½ liters of water
• 2 small bay leaves
• 8 peppercorns
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 carrots (thinly sliced)
• 1 stalk(s) leek, (thinly sliced)
• 1 celery (cut into small cubes)
• 200 g pearl barley (medium)
• 1 ½ liters of water, for the pearl barley
• 6 medium-sized potatoes (cut into small cubes)
• 1 cube of stock (1/2 liter)
• some salt
• some pepper
• 1 sprig of parsley
• 1 medium-sized onion(s) (diced)

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

á la Xainti (a bit elaborate… but no comparison to canned food)

First, put 1.5 liters of cold water with 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a pot, heat it up, and then simmer the meat with the bay leaf, diced onion, and peppercorns for about 1 hour. In the meantime, chop the vegetables (carrots, leeks, and celery) into small pieces. Then add the vegetables and simmer for about 20 minutes. Now add the pearl barley to 1.5 liters of cold water, bring to a boil briefly, then refresh the barley with cold water, then simmer the barley again in 1.5 liters of lightly salted water for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the meat into small cubes and return it to the broth. Peel the potatoes, cut them into small cubes, and let them rest in a bowl filled with water. Now add the pearl barley, which has been refreshed with cold water, and the stock cube(s) if desired, to the meat broth and simmer for another 30 minutes. Finally, add the potato pieces and simmer for another 20-30 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, etc.