Beef Barley Vegetable Soup Recipe

In a slow cooker cook chuck roast until very tender (usually 4 to 5 hours on High but can vary with different slow cookers). Add barley and bay leaf during the last hour of cooking. Remove meat and chop into bite-size pieces. Discard bay leaf. Set beef broth and barley aside.

Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Saute carrots celery onion and frozen mixed vegetables until tender. Add water beef bouillon cubes sugar 1/4 teaspoon pepper chopped stewed tomatoes and beef/barley mixture. Bring to boil reduce heat and simmer 10 to 20 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.