Chef Paul Cooks Beef Barley Soup

Anyone who ever tasted the delicious beef barley soup at Shaw Dining Hall likely tried to recreate it in their own home.
My beef barley soup is a little different, but still good.
I boil a pound of hamburger meat in 8 cups of water, and once it boils I let it simmer for about an hour.
Then I add a bunch of cut up carrots, celery and onions. I also dissolve a cup of beef bouillion in a little bit of water and throw that in too.
I also add a can of whole tomatoes, this is a key ingredient because the juices give the soup the nice red flavor and tomato taste. But Mrs. Poop and I both hate the huge chunks of tomato that result. I'm considering other options but I don't think tomato sauce or tomato juice would work, and crushed tomatoes would be too prevalent in the soup.
The other problem I'm having is with the barley. I can't seem to get it soft enough. I boiled 1/2 cup in a pot of water for about an hour, then added it to the soup where it simmered (along with the aforementioned vegetables) for another hour. But it still isn't soft enough. Next time I may consider soaking the barley overnight.
Regardless of the problems, my beef barley soup is delicious, second only to Shaw's. But since Chase has never had Shaw's, he enjoys the carrots and beef from mine.