Hearty Vegetable Barley Soup

Why I Love This Recipe
Ingredients You'll Need
1/2 lb Lean ground beef
1/2 c Chopped onion
1 cl Minced garlic
7 c Water
1 cn (14.5-oz) unsalted whole Tomatoes undrained cut into Pieces
1/2 c Medium barley
1/2 c Sliced celery
1/2 c Sliced carrots
2 Beef bouillon cubes
1/2 ts Crushed basil
1 Bay leaf
1 pk (9-oz) frozen mixed Vegetables
Directions
In 4 quart saucepan or dutch oven, brown meat. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is tender. Drain. Stir in remaining ingredients except frozen vegetables. Cover, bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 50-60 minutes,stirring occasionally.Add frozen vegetables; cook about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Additional water may be added if soup becomes too thick upon standing.