Old-fashioned beef vegetable soup with barley, just like grandpa used to make! Easy one-pot prep: put everything in a pot and let it simmer. (Plus Pop's pro-tip for picky eaters!)
You can skip this step if your soup bone is already cooked, or if they have no discernible meat of them.Add enough olive oil to your soup pot to barely cover the bottom. Season the beef shank with a little kosher salt salt brown it on both sides.
Cover the browned soup bone with 2 quarts of water, and add 2 bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, and then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.Remove the beef bone and bay leaves from the beef stock. Set the beef bone aside to cool.
When the beef bone is cool, remove any meat from it. Discard the bone (or give it to your dog!). Cover and refrigerate the meat while the soup simmers.
Simmer the Soup
Add all remaining ingredients to the beef stock except the optional Campbell's Soup or alphabet pasta, and simmer over low heat for 2 more hours.
When the soup almost done simmering, add the meat and alphabet pasta (or Campbell's soup). Continue to simmer until the pasta is done; about 8 minutes.
Taste the soup and season with additional salt, pepper, and hot sauce as desired.
Notes
Slow Cooker Prep: Cook on Low for 8 hours, or High for 4 hours.This soup is really better the next day when the flavors have had a chance to blend. Other vegetables can be added and amounts adjusted to suit your taste. Beef vegetable soup freezes well.