Awesome soup recipe to share!

[Wendy w]

Although it isn't cold yet, it has been unseasonably cool at night
and I finally tried this recipe that has been on my to try list for the last 2 years. I finally found quick cooking barley and the sausage at Costco looked so good, I had to try this.

With all of the fall recipes that people have mentioned lately, I thought that some of you may appreciate this. Next time,Iwill use sweet Italian turkey sausage and this will be great on a cold night with red wine, good bread and a salad. This is very filling and is great with a dollop of light sour cream.

Barley Mushroom Soup
from Sunset Magazine November, 1999

Prep & cook time: 35 minutes, makes 9 cups or 6 servings

1/2 lb Italian sausages (I used sweet)
1 onion (1/2 lb) peeled and chopped
1/2 lb mushrooms, rinsed, discolored stem ends trimmed, and thinly sliced
1 Roma tomato (3-4 oz_, rinsed, cored & chopped (I was out of these so I substituted 3 cherry tomatoes)
6 cups fat skimmed beef broth (I had 4 cups worth and used water, you may want more broth because the barley absorbs the liquid)
3/4 cup quick cooking barley
1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach
sour cream or nonfat yogurt
salt & pepper

1. Remove & discard casings from sausages. Crumble meat into a 4-5 qt. pan. Add onion, carrots, mushrooms, and tomato.

2. Stir often over high heat until meat begins to brown and vegetables are limp, 10-12 minutes.

3. Add broth and barley; scrape up browned bits. Add spinach. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until barley is tender to bite, about 10 minutes.

4. Ladle soup into bowls and add dollops of sour cream and salt and pepper to taste.

Per serving: 266 cal., 44% (117 cal.)from fat; 15 g protien; 13 g fat (4.3 g sat.); 25 g carbo (5.1g fiber); 397 mg sodium, 29 mg chol.

Enjoy!:)

[Peggy]

Thanks Wendy! Looks yummy! I'l give it a try when things cool down up here.

Peggy

[Jewel]

Wendy that was looking REALLY good until I got to the part about the chopped spinach...blech! :confused: How can you people eat that stuff when it's all cooked up and limp and just 'hanging' off that spoon like algae or something! :eek:

I can finally appreciate the taste of spinach if it's in it's more 'leafy' form baked into a quiche or something, but soggy and limp? No way Jose!!! :)

[DmOrtega]

Jewel --- How do feel about adding it to the bowl, after everything is cooked, like a condiment? Might be good. Oooops - I didn't see the "frozen" part of the spinich. Oh, well might as well try fresh.

[tracey67]

This looks SO good - thanks for sharing! I'm so excited that cooler weather is here and I can start making soup again.

Jewel - just substitute fresh spinach for the frozen - that's what I always do. (Or do you not like cooked spinach in ANY form? -- just leave it out if that's the case, I'm sure it won't kill the recipe). :D

tracey

[Jewel]

Originally posted by tracey67
Jewel - just substitute fresh spinach for the frozen - that's what I always do. (Or do you not like cooked spinach in ANY form? -- just leave it out if that's the case, I'm sure it won't kill the recipe). :D

tracey

You ladies must WANT to look like Popeye! :confused: Didn't you ever see his forearms?? His lack of hair?? That one eye that's fused shut?? His TOTAL lack of fashion sense? Good Heavens!

I am 39 years old. I went my first 38 years without putting spinach in my mouth. My mother used to open those cans when I was a kid and this vile smelling stuff that looked like it belonged on the ocean floor would kind of 'plop' out of the can into a pan. I saw 'gooshy' and smelled 'vinegary'. In the school cafeteria the Lunch Lady would plop this icky, gooshy stuff onto my plate, and I would flick it off into the garbage can before I sat down at my table. My MIL would 'cream' it for my husband, thinking that would help me like it more...only thing it did was make it look like icky & gooshy in gravy.

Last summer I decided that even though I HATE really leafy veggies like romaine lettuce, I would somehow try spinach because my DH is so crazy about the stuff. I made a quiche that had chopped fresh spinach in it, and I was able to eat it, but could NOT bring myself to try it in it's limp form in any other way. I think the flavor isn't so bad when it's not packed in vinegar and salt, but that texture (or any form of cooked 'green') just sends me running for the Cheez Whiz!! :rolleyes:

[Mamasue]

Jewel.....if you dislike spinach try chopped escarole. I love escarole in soup! :D

[Wendy w]

You all crack me up! Thanks for the laugh, as it has been a yucky day. Sorry to disappoint you with the spinach, Jewel. Spinach is your childhood lunchroom trauma as salisbury steak is mine. I have always loved spinach myself and I do agree that the canned stuff is repulsive.

Sue is right, you could try escarole which is quite good and has a nondescript, low key flavor. If you ever get brazen and want to try spinach, the spinach/artichoke heart dip from last September is heavenly. If you will try spinach, I will try CL salisbury steak or a quinoa recipe.

[Little Bit]

If you want to teach yourself not to loathe spinach, you might want to try Spinach Madeline. It's divine! I once knew a lady who didn't like cheese OR spinach, but loved Spinach Madeline, LOL!

Spinach Madeline

2 packages frozen chopped spinach
4 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. chopped onion
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup vegetable liquor
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3/4 tsp. celery salt
3/4 tsp. garlic salt (to taste)
1 - 6 oz. roll jalapeno cheese (cut into small pieces)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Red pepper (to taste)

Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain and reserve liquor. Melt butter in saucepan over low heat, and add flour, stirring until blended and smooth, but not brown.

Add onion and cook until soft, but not brown. Add liquid slowly, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook until smooth and thick; continue stirring. Add seasonings and cheese. Stir until melted. Combine with cooked spinach.

This may be served immediately or put in a casserole and topped with buttered bread crumbs. The flavor is improved if the casserole is kept in the refrigerator overnight. The dish may also be frozen. Serves 5 to 6.