Everyone loves a hearty beef barley soup, especially in the colder months. But I found that roasting the vegetables gave an incredible flavour. The soup takes some time to prepare, but you can double the batch and freeze the remains for later.

RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Place the root vegetables on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with vegetable oil. Spray the vegetables with oil.
2. Roast for 20 minutes, just until tender. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, dust the beef with flour. In a large skillet sprayed with vegetable oil, sear the beef just until browned on all sides (about 3 minutes). Set aside.
4. In a large saucepan, add the oil and sauté the onions with the garlic over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes or until no longer wet. Add the beef and stock and cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the beef is almost tender. Add the barley and root vegetables and cover and simmer for 20 minutes or just until the barley is cooked. Add the Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper.
5. Ladle into individual bowls and garnish with parsley.

INGREDIENTS
¾ cup diced potato
¾ cup diced sweet potato
¾ cup diced parsnip
8 oz stewing beef, cut into small cubes
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp vegetable oil
1½ cups diced onions
2 tsp crushed garlic
2 cups sliced button mushrooms
4 cups low-sodium
beef stock
¼ cup barley
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
pinch of salt and pepper
¼ cup chopped parsley

NOTES
Makes 6 servings.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 80 minutes
Make ahead: Make the soup up to 2 days in advance. Add more stock when
reheating.

Nutritional Information per Serving
Calories 243
Carbohydrates 27 g
Fibre 4.7 g
Protein 11.9 g
Total fat 9.1 g
Saturated fat 3.8 g
Cholesterol 26 mg
Sodium 440 mg