Hamburger Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs extra lean ground beef
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic (can use more)
1 large onion, chopped finely
1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes (undrained)
1 3/4 cups water
3 (10 ounce) cans beef consomme, undiluted (make certain to use only beef consomme, not beef broth!)
1 -2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 (10 ounce) can tomato soup, undiluted
5 -6 carrots, chopped into about 1-inch pieces
1 -2 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper
1/2 cup pearl barley
crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

In a large pot, brown the ground beef with onion and garlic; drain any fat (if you are making this soup with meatballs, brown the meatballs first, then saute the onions and garlic after the meatballs).
Add in all remaining ingredients except Parmesan cheese, and simmer for a minimum of 3 hours, (adjusting ingredients to suit taste).
Ladle into serving bowls and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.