I got this from a weight watchers book and it's SO GOOD. I was a little skeptical of it because of the barley, but holy heck it's delicious. And really filling!!
ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 cup uncooked barley (it calls for the quick-cook kind, I used regular and partly pre-cooked it)
3 cups fat-free chicken or veggie brother
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces (I did 1 inch)
1/4 cup sliced fresh chives
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
a little salt&pepper
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (USE FRESH!!!)
Warm oil, saute onions until soft, about 6 minutes. Stir in barley and cook, stirring, about 1 more minute.
Add broth, cover and simmer over low heat for 8 minutes; stir in asparagus and simmer 2 minutes more (I simmered a LOT longer to get the asparagus cooked to how I want it, and to evaporate the liquid because I improvised with regular barley). Remove from heat, stir in chives and vinegar; season to taste with salt and pepper. Spring with cheese and serve.
1 cup per serving, 6 servings.
It is SO good. I thought it would need a ton of cheese but I only sprinkled a little in my bowl and mixed it in, and it got all creamy with the broth. Oh man. Try it, asparagus is in season!
