Beef Barley Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

12 oz. dried mushrooms
1 c. boiling water
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 lb. piece thinly sliced beef round (about 1/4-inch thick), cut into 2-inch long pieces
2 (13 3/4 oz. each) cans reduced sodium beef broth
2 carrots, pared and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried marjoram, crumbled
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
8 oz. white turnips (3 small pared and cubed)
8 oz. zucchini
1/2 c. quick cooking barley
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Rinse mushrooms.
Cover with 1 cup boiling water in small bowl.
Reserve.
Saute onion and garlic in oil in large pot over medium-low heat until tender but not browned 5 minutes.
Increase heat.
Add beef; brown on all sides.
Add beef broth, water, carrots, celery, salt, marjoram, pepper and bay leaf.
Drain mushrooms, adding liquid to pot.
Crush mushrooms.
Add to soup. Bring to boiling.
Lower heat.
Cover and simmer 20 minutes.
Add turnips, zucchini and barley.
Return to simmer.
Cover and cook 10 minutes more or until barley is tender.
Melt butter in small skillet over medium-low heat; stir in flour until smooth.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly
until flour turns light brown color.
Remove from heat.
Stir in about 1 cup soup liquid until smooth.
Stir flour mixture back into soup until smooth.
Remove bay leaf.
Add parsley.
Heat to serving temperature.