Beef barley soup

Ingredients

1 medium yellow onion
3 medium carrots
3 medium stalks celery
2 cloves garlic
1 ½ pounds boneless beef chuck
2 teaspoons kosher salt (divided)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 (32-ounce) boxes low-sodium beef broth
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
¾ cup pearl barley
1 dried bay leaf
Chopped fresh parsley leaves (for garnish)
Instructions

Prepare vegetables by dicing the onion, slicing carrots and celery, and chopping garlic.
Cut the beef chuck into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.
In a Dutch oven, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches, then set aside.
In the same pot, add another tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the onion mixture until fragrant. Add garlic and thyme.
Stir in tomato paste; then return beef to the pot along with broth, diced tomatoes, pearl barley, and bay leaf.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until barley is tender (40–50 minutes).
Remove bay leaf before serving and garnish with parsley.