Lunch: Lighter Vegetable Beef Soup

The Deen Bros' Lighter Vegetable Beef Soup is a healthier version of the comforting and tasty classic.

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Barley

Health and fertility benefits of Lighter Vegetable Beef Soup

Barley is about the best grain a woman with PCOS can eat. It is low in calories and has the lowest GI of all grains. Low-GI grains such as barley take much longer to digest and create a slow, steady rise in blood glucose and insulin levels. As mentioned before on Fertility Chef, low-GI foods reduce cravings. If possible, try and find hulled barley as it is the most nutrient dense of all types of barley.

Ingredients

1 lb lean boneless beef sirloin, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms, tough stems removed and sliced
1/2 lb white button mushrooms, sliced
1 large leek, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery ribs, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
2 cups canned diced tomatoes
2 cups frozen sliced okra, or fresh
2 cups water
1/2 cup pearl barley, rinsed
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon Paula Deen House Seasoning
1/2 lb green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Spray a nonstick Dutch oven with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 5 to€“ 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Add the oil to the Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, leek, carrots, celery and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, okra, water, barley, Worcestershire and House seasoning; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the beef is tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Add the green beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle with the parsley.

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