Easy Hamburger Soup

Several of you commented that you would like my recipe for hamburger soup. So here it is. And believe me it really is easy.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 medium onion chopped

1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cans beef broth

1 cup water

4 celery ribs, sliced

4 large carrots, halved and thinly sliced (I use baby carrots)

Ground black pepper (I buy the McCormick Peppercorns that come in a grinder and use a lot of it cause Jim likes pepper.)

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 cup quick cooking barley

Brown the hamburger and onion until no longer pink, and drain. Stir in tomatoes, broth and water. Then add celery and carrots. Stir in the pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until veggies are tender.

Return to a boil. Stir in barley and reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Let stand for five minutes. Enjoy.