This soup is a fantastic way to use up bits and pieces – I am using organic beef bones from Organic Land which give this soup a wonderful, comforting flavour.

2-4 beef soup bones (osso bucco or ox tail)
4 stalks celery, diced

1 onion, diced

4 carrots, diced

2 leeks, sliced thinly

½ swede, peeled and diced

1 cup barley

Salt and pepper

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

Generous handful fresh parsley, chopped

Place the bones in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to the boil, remove any scum that has risen to the top and reduce the temperature to a gentle simmer.

Add the herbs, onion, light part of the leek and carrots.  Simmer away for 1 ½ hours.  Add the swede, and barley season with salt and pepper and cook for a further 30 minutes or until the barley and swede are tender. Adjust the seasoning you may find you need to add a generous amount to salt.

Remove the bones and pick off any meat and return it to the soup, discard the bones.  Add the chopped parsley and serve.