Soup kind of day

I saw this recipe in the pull out called Relish in our local paper and decided I should give it a try. Today is a cool cloudy kind of day and that makes it a soup kind of day for me! I followed the directions and it's simmering on the stove now, filling the air with a mouth-drooling scent. Even JoPapaBear said it smells good and the spoon of broth he tasted was "yummy". So it seems promising.  Here's the recipe if you want to try it or if you want, come on over for lunch!

Mushroom, Beef and Barley Soup½ pound sirloin steak cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrots
12 ounces fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped
½ cup uncooked barley
10 ½ ounces beef broth
5 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add beef and saute until brown. Add onion and carrots; saute about 7 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook, about 8 minutes
Add barley, broth, water, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes or until barley is tender. Makes about 6 cups. 296 calories per cup