You do too like barley, you just don't know it.  Remember Campbell's Vegetable Beef soup?  Those little white things in it were barley.  It's a grain just like oats or wheat.  It's not scary at all.  In fact it's delicious and nutritious and makes great soup.

1 (3 pound) beef roast or stew meat

Lawry's seasoning salt

1 bay leaf

1 onion, chopped

4 cups beef broth

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

2-3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp Soy sauce

2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp chili powder

(16 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables

1/2 cup barley

hot water

salt and pepper to taste

If you're using a roast (cheap meat is good here), cut it into bite sized pieces.  If you're using pre-cut stew meat, just check it to make sure there aren't any huge chunks.  Put the cut meat into a bowl and sprinkle fairly liberally with the Lawry's.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, dump it into the crock-pot with the bay leaf, onion, broth, tomatoes, Worcestershire, soy sauce, basil and chili powder.  The longer you cook this, the better.  I started mine at 6:30 a.m. and cooked it on low all day. 

Around 1:00 I threw in the package of frozen vegetables.  If you aren't home in the middle of the day, about an hour before serving microwave the veggies first until cooked through and put into the soup along with the barley .  While adding the veggies and barley, add enough hot water to get the consistency you like and then taste the broth and adjust seasonings as necessary.

After an hour, the barley will be cooked and your house will smell marvelous.  Ladle into bowls and enjoy.