Fall is the perfect time for a hearty soup or stew and this one is full of flavor and is very filling. Whip up a batch of my skillet cornbread and you are all set for some delicious comfort food. I used the vegetables that I had handy and I really liked the savory mushrooms along side the steak and barley. You can just add in your favorites from your pantry and soups are such a great way to use up leftover vegetables. My little one took one look at this and declared, I'm really not hungry. I asked him to just try it and he decided it was good after all. Soup is pretty economical, I fed all five of us with one pound of steak, pretty good I think. What's your favorite meal that stretches a dollar?
In a large dutch oven, add olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrots, stirring often, cook about 2 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook until onions start to brown. Add steak and mushrooms, salt and pepper. Stir occasionally, cooking until steak just starts to brown. about 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in barley, corn, beef broth and water. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally until barley is tender about 45 minutes. Serve with skillet cornbread.