Beef , Barley & Vegetable Soup

This recipe was pulled from epicurious.com and modified to exclude okra and use up beef & frozen veggies in the freezer.

Easy to make and quite yummy. The double batch we made lasted a week.

We Both Like Soup....
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound beef stew meat
1 pound meaty beef bones (such as beef shank bones)3 celery stalks, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup pearl barley4 cups water
2 14 1/2-ounce cans beef broth1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 10-ounce package frozen veggie mix (peas, carrots, corn, lima beans, green beans...)
2 small bay leaves
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add stew meat and bones; sauté until beef is dark brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer beef and bones to plate. Add celery, onion, and barley to pot. Sauté until onion is golden, about 15 minutes. Add 4 cups water, beef broth, tomatoes with juices, veggies, bay leaves, and garlic powder. Return beef and bones to pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until beef is almost tender, about 1 hour.Add 1 1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce to soup. Cover and simmer until beef is tender, about 30 minutes longer. Season with salt, pepper, and more hot pepper sauce, if desired.