Home-Made Beef Vegetable Soup

1 Lb Lean Stew Meat, diced

6 - 8 cups water

2 cans beef or chicken broth (optional - reduce water proportionally)

4 beef or chicken bullion cubes (reduce 2 cubes if using canned broth)

1 cup medium carrots (appx 2 medium), peeled and diced

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup onion (appx 1/2 medium onion), diced

1 cup celery, broccoli stems, or leeks, diced

1 cup potato (appx 1 cup), diced (peel if russett)

1 cup yellow sweet potato, diced (peeling is optional)

1 tomato, diced (optional)

1/2 cup pearl barley (optional)

2 oz oil or butter for frying

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tsp italian seasoning (ok to substitute oregano or tyme)

1/2 tsp dill weed (or more, if you like it)

dash salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

Directions

Brown the stew meat in one or two ounces of oil. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. When meat has browned, add water, chicken/beef broth, pearl barley, italian seasoning and bring to boil. Reduce heat until soup is at a very low boil. Add carrots, celery, mushrooms, onion. Allow soup t come back to low boil, simmer for appx 5 minutes. Next add potatoes, leeks and tomato to pot. Bring back to a boil for 4 - 5 more minutes. Check potatoes frequently, they should be cooked but not too soft. Turn heat off immediately when potatoes are nearing the desired firmness. Stir in onion powder, dill weed. Check flavor, very carefully add salt or celery seasoning to taste - it is very important to slightly under-salt the soup.

For best flavor, allow soup to rest 15 minutes before serving.