Beef-barley soup for lunch

Yesterday I made a big batch of beef-and-barley soup for lunch. We had about a cup-and-a-half of organic pearl barley on hand, and there were a couple of small beefsteaks in the freezer. The other ingredients we had on hand were carrots, potatoes, onions, thyme, oregano, white wine, mushrooms, bay leaves, escarole, and beef broth. Such a soup was nourishing, even fortifying, given the cold weather we've been having. Morning temperatures are down around freezing. Afternoon temperatures are milder, and we're getting some sunshine — well, we were until yesterday, when a thick fog lasted all day long.