Best-Ever Beef Barley Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
6 cups water
3 beef bouillon cubes
2 cups sliced carrots
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped green peppers
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup regular barley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 large bay leaf
1/3 cup catsup
1 (38 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, with their juice
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

Preparation

In Dutch oven or soup pot, saute ground beef until it loses its red color, breaking it up as it cooks.
(I use a two-tined cooking fork.) Add all other ingredients.
Simmer for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
Adjust seasonings, if necessary.