250 gms mutton
3/4 cup pearl barley (rinsed)
8 cups chicken stock (no salt)
2 potatoes, peeled & diced
3 tomatoes, roughly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
200 gms fresh green beans, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Lemon juice (optional)

Barley & Meat Soup With Vegetables

1. Bring chicken stock to boil with meat (Stock can be prepared with 2 chicken pieces, 9 cups water, 1 onion, 2 diced carrots, few pepper corns. Cook for 1 hour till oil comes on top, strain).
2. Simmer stock with meat for 15 minutes, covered. Also add diced potatoes, tomatoes, beans, onion, carrots, celery, barley and oregano. Boil. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered till both meat and barley gets cooked.
3. Now remove meat, cut into small bite size pieces, return meat to soup pot. At this stage, soup can be cooled and put in fridge, if not using immediately. Before using it, add salt, pepper and bring to simmer.
4. Before serving, add lemon juice and serve.
5. Instead of fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes can also be used. Instead of mutton, beef can also be used. Use chicken stock only, do not use beef stock.
   Serves: 6-8
   Preparation time: 30 minutes