Vegetable Beef Barley Soup (Low Sodium)

1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
7 cups water
1 14.5 oz. can unsalted whole tomatoes, undrained and cut into pieces
1/2 cup uncooked pearled barley
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 packets Herb Ox Sodium Free Instant Beef Bouillon
1/2 tsp. dried basil, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 9-10 oz. package frozen mixed vegetables

In a Dutch oven, brown the ground beef. Add onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent. Drain off the fat from the meat. Stir in remaining ingredients, all but the frozen vegetables. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add frozen vegetables and cook about 10 minutes until tender. If the soup becomes too thick upon standing, add additional water. Makes 6 servings, 2 cups each.

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user ROSERRR.