Beef and Barley Soup

3 Tb. olive oil, divided

2 lbs stew meat, trimmed of any excess fat

2 Tb. cream sherry

4 carrots, diced

3 stalks of celery, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 bunch of green onions, rinse and chop the white and light green parts only

4 cloves of garlic, minced

8 cups of beef stock

2 cups water

1 tsp. beef base, I like Better Than Bouillon

3 bay leaves

3 sprigs of thyme, tied together with kitchen twine

1 russet potato, peeled and shredded

1 cup of quick cooking barley

salt and pepper to taste

Add 2 Tb. of olive oil to a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. I use my Le Creuset 7 qt stock pot for all my soups and stews. Working in several small batches add the stew meat and brown on both sides, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer meat to a plate and continue working in batches until all the meat has been browned and transferred to a plate. Add an additional Tb of olive oil and 2 Tb. of cream sherry to the pot to deglaze. Add carrots, celery, onion, green onion, and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the stew meat, beef stock, water, beef base, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add shredded potato and simmer for an additional 30-45 minutes. Add barley and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and the thyme prior to serving.