Ingredients
1 pound package lean ground beef (96%), see shopping tips
2 (32-oz) containers Swanson’s reduced-sodium beef broth or your favorite broth
1 (14.5 oz) can Swanson’s reduced-sodium beef broth
1 (14.5 oz) can tomatoes, diced
¾ cup dried pearl barley, see shopping tips
1½ cups carrots, sliced
1½ cups celery, sliced
1½ cups onions, chopped
1½ cups zucchini, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried sage
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
Directions for Stove Top:
- In a large nonstick pot or pan, brown ground beef. Pour into a colander in sink and drain fat. Add beef back to pot. Pour in all the beef broth, tomatoes and barley. Bring to a boil, turn down to simmer, cover pot and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the carrots, celery, onions, zucchini and garlic to the broth. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, thyme, sage and fresh ground pepper. Cook uncovered 50 minutes
- Stir in spinach leaves and cook 2 minutes more. Remove the bay leaf.
- This soup freezes great.
Makes 12 cups total: 8 main course servings (1½ cups each)
Directions for Crock Pot:
Note: You’ll need a large (6 quart) crock-pot. If you don’t have one this large, you can use a smaller crock=pot and cut the recipe in half.
- In a large nonstick pot or pan, brown ground beef. Pour into a colander in sink and drain fat.
- Place beef and all ingredients in the crock pot, except spinach. Mix together well.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH heat for 3 1/2 hours until veggies and barley are soft. Stir in spinach, cover and cook on high for 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf.
Nutrition Facts
for 1½ cups serving
172 calories
2g fat
1g sat fat
25mg chol
17g protein
21g carbs
4g fiber
704mg sodium
4g sugar
