Wave 2--Lentil and Barley Soup
 

Lentil and Barley Soup

This is slightly modified from Nonna's Italian Kitchen by Bryanna Clark Grogan. Very good!

8 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 cups broth
1 1/2 cups dried lentils
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup barley
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry or 1 cup chopped cooked greens
freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, then saute' the onions till they begin to soften.

2. Add the celery, carrots, and garlic and saute' a few minutes more.

3. Add the broth, tomatoes, lentils, red wine, and herbs. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Add barley; simmer for 45 minutes more, stirring occasionally and adding water if needed.

5. Add the greens and cook an additional 15 minutes.

6. Serve topped with parmesan cheese, if desired.

This looks good! For some reason, though, I'm big on measuring out portions (I don't have the right sized plates/bowls and somehow don't trust myself with eyeballing it... a big reason that I gained weight in the first place.)

Do you have a # of servings or serving size for this?

It's supposed to be 8 servings, but I'm not sure of the serving size. I do know that I had a regular soup bowl of it (maybe 2 cups, but probably a little more) along with a salad and was full. Does that help any?

That helps plenty. Now, I can just divide by 8!

Thank you!