Rich beef soup with pearl barley

Ingredients:

• 0.9 kg of oxtails
• 1 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (2 stalks)
• 2 cups carrots, cut into 1 cm cubes (4 pcs.)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup celery, diced into 1 cm cubes (2 stalks)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 fresh sprigs of thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 2.5 liters of canned beef broth
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 2 potatoes, cut into cubes
• 1 small head of kohlrabi, diced

Preparation:

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the oxtails, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until browned. Remove the oxtails with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Add the leeks, carrots, onions, celery, and garlic to the remaining fat in the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to brown. Tie the thyme sprigs with kitchen string and add them to the pan along with the bay leaf. Return the oxtails to the pan and add the broth, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Increase the heat and bring the broth to a boil.
3. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Remove the thyme bunch and bay leaf and skim the fat from the surface of the broth.
4. Meanwhile, bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add the pearl barley. Simmer for 30 minutes, drain, and set aside.
5. When the soup is ready, add the pearl barley, potatoes, and kohlrabi and simmer for another 15-20 minutes, until the barley is tender. Taste the soup and add salt if needed. Serve hot, with or without the oxtails.