Barley, Potato and Ditalini Soup

I have been trying several recipes and not many of them have been worth writing about. There were a few my family wishes I had never fed them.

I wasn’t too sure how they would react to this soup with having so much barley in it. I guess they have enjoyed it since my daughter and husband have taken it for lunch the past two days.

For those who have high cholesterol, a cup of barley eaten every day, will help lower your levels.

What I like about this recipe is you can play with the ingredients as you wish. If you are a vegan, use vegetable broth. I made my mine with chicken broth, but I think beef broth would be really tasty.

Ingredients

1 cup ditalini pasta

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 onion, diced

2 Tablespoons olive oil

¾ cup uncooked barley

12 cups of broth (your choice veggie, chicken or beef)

4 carrots, diced

½ cup celery, diced

1 medium potato, peeled and diced

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions

In large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat

Cook garlic and onions, for four minutes

Add broth and barley bring to a simmer

Add carrots, celery, potato, ditalini, let simmer for 30 minutes

Add spices simmer for 6 minutes longer

Remove from heat and let rest for 20 minutes before serving.

** The longer this sits, the more liquid the barley and pasta will absorb. I added water, when I served the next day. **