To cook the beef quickly, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the chunks of beef stew meat and cook until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove the meat and set it aside.
Put the chopped carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in the same pan and cook until soft. Once the vegetables start to get soft, cook for about 5 minutes.
Mix the barley with the broth. Add the diced tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to the beef broth. Once the barley is cooked, put the browned meat back in the pot. Mix by stirring.
Cook the soup slowly. Once the soup starts boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. To make the barley tender and the meat fully cooked, cover and let it simmer for about one hour.
Final Information: Remove the bay leaf and try the soup. If it requires more salt or pepper, put some in.
You can enjoy the hot soup by pouring it into bowls and adding some fresh parsley on top.
Total Time: 1 hour and fifteen minutes (15 minutes for getting ready and 1 hour for cooking).
Servings: 6 | Calories per serving: 350