It looks like winter isn’t finished with us as the north braces for yet another storm.  What better comfort food is there for a cold, snowy night than a warm, hearty bowl of barley & lentil soup?

Barley is high in fiber and selenium and is a great source of phosphorus, copper and manganese. It contains eight essential amino acids and is reputed to regulate blood sugar for up to 10 hours after consumption.  Lentils are also high in fiber and also are one of the best vegetable sources of iron, B vitamins and folate.  Delicious, healthy and filling!

Ingredients:

1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 clove, garlic minced
¼ cup olive oil
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 15-oz can petite diced tomatoes
½ cup lentils, rinsed
½ cup pearl barley
4 – 5 14-oz cans low sodium vegetable broth (add fifth can for thinner soup)
½ tsp dried Italian herbs
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 cups carrots, sliced thin

Cooking directions:

• In a large, heavy soup pot, cook onions, celery and garlic in hot oil until tender.
• Add remaining ingredients
• Cook for 40 minutes, or until barley, lentils and carrots are tender. If soup is too thick after cooking, add 5th can of vegetable broth and adjust seasonings.

This soup is best if made a day early and reheated.
The longer it sits, the thicker it gets – almost like a stew.
Yummm!!!

Makes 8 – 10 servings.  Per serving:  185 calories, Protein: 5 grams, fat: 7 grams, carbs: 20 grams; sugar: 6 grams; sodium: 140 mg  (approximately, depending on brands that you use).

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 at 4:58 pm and is filed under From the Kitchen. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.