Dinner really couldn’t have been easier, which is such an amazing thing to be able to say when the dinner in question is hearty, healthy, and delicious.  The recipe?  Prep your ingredients, put ’em in a pot, and let ’em simmer away for 3 hours.  That 3 hours is the worst part, as within 30 minutes your kitchen will smell amazing, and it will be all you can do to stay away for the remaining 2:30.

At least that’s what happened with us and this soup, which was just the right thing for a rainy and cold Saturday.  I had good intentions of documenting it as well as Smitten Kitchen did – but then I got hungry and forgot.  A word of caution, though – this makes DRAMATICALLY more than any two people could possibly eat, with 8 cups of soup left after generous dinner portions.  Some will go into our freezer,  some will go home with a friend, and the rest will be lunches for the next week – all of which are good things, though next time I’ll probably just halve the recipe.

Recipe:
Beef, Leek, and Barley Soup from Smitten Kitchen