Best Barley Soup
- Yield 11 servings
Terrific twist to basic barley soup with bacon, naturally sweet yams, earthy mushrooms and carrots creating a comforting and superb dish.
Ingredients
- 5 slices turkey bacon
- 1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 -- red onion, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 8 cups fat-free chicken broth
- 1 -- bay leaf
- 2 cups chopped carrots
- 2 cups chopped Louisiana yams (sweet potatoes), peeled and cut into small cubes
- 3/4 cup medium pearl barley
Instructions
- In large nonstick pot, cook bacon until crisp. Remove to paper towels, crumble, set aside.
- In same pot coated with nonstick cooking spray, sauté mushrooms, garlic, and onion until tender about 7 minutes.
- Add thyme, broth, bay leaf, carrots, sweet potatoes and barley. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook 25 minutes or until barley and vegetables are tender. Season to taste, remove bay leaf. If too thick, add more broth. To serve, sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Makes 11 cups.
Spicy Advice: For vegetarian option, omit bacon and use vegetable broth.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Holly Clegg’s Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle at Any Age (2010).
