Steak & Vegetable Soup

Adapted from 'Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes'. Basically made the recipe larger, heartier, and less salty. Mushrooms and browned beef give plenty of taste, so removed half the canned beef broth from the original recipe. Have been making this in variations for over 10 years. Easy and tasty.

• Ready In: 7 hrs
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons flour
• 1  teaspoon  ground chipotle chile pepper
• 1 1⁄2 lbs  steak, cheap lowfat cut, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2  tablespoons  cooking oil
• 1  lb mushroom, coarsely sliced
• 1⁄2 cup  baby carrots, sliced
• 1  medium  white onion, chopped
• 1 1⁄2 cups  frozen mixed vegetables
• 1⁄3 cup barley
• 1  tablespoon fresh oregano
• 1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
• 2  cups water, for barley cooking
• 4  cups water, for soup addition

Directions

1. Heat skillet to medium high.
2. Combine flour and chipotle in plastic bag, add beef cubes, and shake to coat.
3. Add oil to skillet, and brown the beef. Usually I do 1/3rd at a time. Dump browned meat into crock pot.
4. Lower skillet heat to medium, and saute the carrots and onion.
5. When onion goes clear, add the mushrooms, and saute until mushrooms look mostly cooked. Dump everything into crockpot, liquid and all.
6. Add barley and 2 cups of water to the skillet. Bring to a boil, cover, and set to low temperature to simmer. Set timer for 25 minutes for when it will be mostly done.
7. Add the frozen mixed vegetables, oregano, and beef broth to the crockpot.
8. When barley time is up, drain and rinse in a colander, and add to crockpot.
9. Add 4 cups of water to crockpot, or however much you would like.
10. Cook in crock pot for 6 hours, on Low temperature.