Beef Barley Soup

2 quarts water
1 large soup bone with meat
1/2 cup chopped celery tops
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup uncooked regular barley
3 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced celery
2 cups sliced parsnips
2 cups thinly sliced onion
1 can (12 oz) tomato paste

Combine water, bone, celery tops, salt and pepper in a Dutch oven. Bring to boiling; cover tightly and simmer 1 to 2 hours.

Remove bone from stock; cool. Remove meat from bone; chop. Return to stock.

Stir in barley; continue cooking 30 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients; simmer 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Serves 8 to 10.

NOTE: My mother used to make barley soup when I was young but she always washed her barley first to remove some of the starch. She didn’t add cabbage and parsnips to the soup either; that would be optional.