I have to give this three stars not because the beef barley is mediocre, but because the recipe is a bit off. The reality of the matter is the beef barley is awesome! I love barley and this recipe actually makes me say this might be a bit too much barley. When I make this next time, I will use one cup instead of a cup and a half. All the veggies are quite good - and as the recipe owner says, the rutabaga gives it a wonderful flavor and does not fall apart. We all loved the rutabaga - and four of the eight people that ate this were scared of it until they took their first bite. However, when all was said and done, there was absolutely no broth left. And I added two additional cups of water as the barley was not cooking. I should have added an additional six cups at least. The owner warns that this is a thick soup - but there is nothing soupy about this when it's done if you don't add a lot of extra water. Furthermore, the cooking times are WAY off! I knew the beef was not going to be tender with just an hour. I gave the meat about two hours and then added tomatoes, carrots, celery and onions to let the meat start getting some flavor. That all stewed for two hours as well. I then added the rutabaga and barley and that needed an hour and a half as well. In the last half an hour I added the frozen veggies and it all worked out well. Keep the pot covered, as well, because, of course, the steam wants to escape. I will make this again but with twice as much meat and water.
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