Barley and Lentil Soup

Makes 5 servings of very delicious soup!!

Preparation 15 minutes
Cooking 1 hour
130 calories per serving

1/3 cupt green-brown lentils (dried)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 cups Swiss chard, or spinach, coarsely chopped and packed
1-1/2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1/3 cup pearl barley
3/4 cup canned tomatoes (diced or chopped)
salt to taste
ground pepper to taste

Rinse and drain the lentils, then set aside.

Prepare the vegetables:  Finely chop the onion and carrots; coarsely chop the Swiss chard; mince or press the garlic.  Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion then saute 3-4 minutes until soft.  Add the carrots, then saute 5 minutes with occasional stirring, until they are golden-coloured.  Add the garlic and stir 1 minute, then add the cumin and stir 1 minute.  Pour in the broth, water and barley.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes and lentils.  Continue to simmer, covered, until the lentils and barley are tender, 25-30 minutes.

Add the chard to the soup, cover and simmer until the chard is tender, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Thin the soup with more broth or water, if desired.  Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

The soup keeps up to 7 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Beer Batter for Fondue

Leftover Scalloped Potato Soup

Bread (known as challah, houska or chalka)