Sorry this isn't in good recipe format. Maybe when I have more time...

Made my 3rd pot of the season last week and just finished it up. I have tweaked it to a point where it is now officially worthy of being called delicious. Nothing too fancy but a few details that make it better.

I make a lot of roasts in the crockpot over the winter. I use arm roasts, chuck roasts, rump roasts, sirloin tip roasts, etc... I buy a half of a cow every year so I have 'em. When I do a roast in the crockpot, I do it the same most of time and it helps with the soup recipe. Season it how you like. I use Lawry's seasoned salt (lightly), Snider's Prime Rib & Roast Seasoning (generous), garlic powder (lightly) and coarse ground pepper on the meat. Then I add an onion quartered, 2 garlic cloves minced, peeled & cut-up potatoes, peeled & cut-up carrots and whatever else tickles your fancy. Turn it on low for 8-10 hours and you come home from work with the house smelling like heaven and dinner ready except for the gravy and rolls or biscuits. The gravy is as simple as pouring the juice from the roast into a saucepan and stirring in a few heaping teaspoons of corn starch, at high heat and beef broth if needed to make more (add salt and pepper as desired).

Now back to the soup. I gave the roast information because I use the leftover roast meat, gravy and veggies for the soup, unless we decide the leftover roast, gravy and veggies are too good to pass up as leftovers. You are on your own for this dilemma. It is not a decision to be made lightly. This stuff leftover is almost as good as the original meal. But a man needs a good, thick soup once in a while.

Take the leftover roast and clean it of any fat, bones, etc. Cut it into pieces the size you like in your soup. Then dice up whatever veggies you have left into soup sized pieces (easy to do because they are soft from 8-10 hours in the crockpot). Put the veggies aside for now. Take a stock pot and line the bottom with and onion or two cut into pieces about the size of your fingernails, one garlic clove minced and add olive oil. Get the olive oil and onions/garlic hot. When the onions start to reduce and caramelize a little bit, toss in the meat and keep stirring it around on medium high heat. 5 mins should be plenty. DO NOT LEAVE THE MEAT AND ONIONS UNATTENDED ON MEDUIM HIGH HEAT (Can you tell I've done that and ruined it?). Now your kitchen smells like heaven again with the beef and onions/garlic cooking.

Once the beef and onions are one, add in 3-4 cups of beef broth/stock. Bring that up to a medium heat. Add one small can of tomato paste and make sure it is broken up and infused into the broth (no chunks of paste). Now add the veggies from the roast. I also add one bag of frozen veggies (without potatoes) now. Depending upon what you put into your roast, you may not want or need the bag of frozen veggies. I bring all of that to a medium heat and continuously stir. This only take 5-10 min or so.

Now you are going to add a few more cups of beef broth/stock and the gravy you made from the roast. Stir it in and bring it to a medium heat. This next step is the part where you just have to play it by ear. You add more broth/stock to get the soup a little more watery than you would like it. the reason fort this is that you are going to add a 1/2 cup (more or less depending on your size) of barley and two bay leaves. Turn the stovetop down to low and let it simmer, covered an hour or two, stirring regularly (this is where you are watching football, hockey or a John Wayne movie).

Now the soup should have thickened up to be almost like a stew. If you like it with more broth, just add accordingly. If it is too brothy and you want it thicker, add some more barley and let it simmer, covered another hour (stirring regularly).

The final step is adding salt and pepper. I do this at the end because you run the risk of too much salt, if you do it on the front end. The roast was seasoned and I usually salt my gravy that was dumped in earlier. It almost always needs salt and pepper at this stage. Add small amounts, stir and taste. Do this until you have the flavor right.

Try to let it simmer (covered) at least 30 mins after you salt & pepper it.

Not complicated and darn delicious.

A bowl of this, with some crackers and a grilled cheese sammich and an ice cold beer is a darn fine lunch on a Saturday or Sunday whilst cuttin' wood...