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–+ servings

Skinny Beef, Vegetable and Barley Soup (Crock Pot or Stove Top)

Skinny Beef, Vegetable and Barley Soup (Crock Pot or Stove Top)

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound package lean ground beef (96%), see shopping tips
  • 2 (32-oz) containers Swanson’s reduced-sodium beef broth or your favorite broth
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can Swanson’s reduced-sodium beef broth
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can tomatoes, diced
  • ¾ cup dried pearl barley, see shopping tips
  • 1½ cups carrots, sliced
  • 1½ cups celery, sliced
  • 1½ cups onions, chopped
  • 1½ cups zucchini, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried sage
  • Fresh ground pepper, to taste
  • 3 cups fresh spinach leaves

Instructions
 

Instructions for Stove-Top:

  • In a large nonstick pot or pan, brown ground beef. Pour into a colander in sink and drain fat. Add beef back to pot. Pour in all the beef broth, tomatoes, and barley. Bring to a boil, turn down to simmer, cover pot, and cook for 15 minutes.
  • Add the carrots, celery, onions, zucchini, and garlic to the broth. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, thyme, sage, and fresh ground pepper. Cook uncovered 50 minutes.
  • Stir in spinach leaves and cook 2 minutes more. Remove the bay leaf.

Instructions for Crock-Pot:

  • Note: You’ll need a large (6 quart) crock-pot. If you don’t have one this large, you can use a smaller crock-pot and cut the recipe in half.
  • In a large nonstick pot or pan, brown ground beef. Pour into a colander in sink and drain fat.
  • Place beef and all ingredients in the crock-pot, except spinach. Mix together well.
  • Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH heat for 3½ hours until veggies and barley are soft. Stir in spinach, cover, and cook on high for 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf.
  • This soup freezes great.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cupsCalories: 172kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 17gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 704mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gBlue Smart Points: 3Green Smart Points: 3Plus Points: 4