Delicious Beef and Barley Soup

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the oxtails, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 1 tsp salt and cook over medium-high heat. Stir periodically, for about 10 minutes until browned all over. Remove the oxtails with a slotted spoon and set aside for later.

2. Clean the leaks. Add the leaks, carrots, onion, celery, and minced garlic to the leftover fat in the pot and cook over medium heat. Stir periodically, for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables start to brown.

3. Tie the thyme sprigs together with kitchen string and add to the pot along with the bay leaves. Add the oxtails back into the pot and add the broth, 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of pepper, and bring to a boil.

4. Once it reaches boiling point, lower the heat, cover and let simmer for 1 hour. Remove and discard the thyme bundle, bay leaves, and skim off the fat.

5. In the meantime bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add the barley. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, drain, and set aside.

6. When the soup is ready, add the barley and cook the soup for an additional 15-20 minutes, until the barley is tender. Add more salt and pepper as needed/to taste. Serve with or without the oxtails.