Vegan Vegetable Barley Soup

Did you know that one cup of barley has over 3 times the amount of fiber of oatmeal?

We have been trying to use a variety of grains and healthy starches in our meals, and my mission this week was to use barley in a main course as it’s full of dietary fiber and offers numerous heart-healthy benefits. Here is a truly filling soup that is almost a stew and rivals a restaurants’ top vegan dish. Only 150 calories per serving.  If you do not need the dish to be vegetarian, a couple of good dashes of Worcestershire sauce adds a hint of warmth. (for those who may not know, Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies!)

• 5 cups vegetable broth (vegan)
• 1/2 cup uncooked barley
• 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
• 1 stalk celery and its leaves, chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can sodium-free diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 cup navy beans (rinsed if from can, or dried and soaked over night)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon natural sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili pepper
• juice from 1/2 fresh lemon

Pour the vegetable broth into a large pot. Add the barley, carrots, celery and leaves, tomatoes, zucchini, navy beans, onion, garlic and bay leaves. Season with the sugar, salt, pepper, curry powder, paprika, chili pepper and lemon. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 90 minutes. Add water if soup thickens too much, and remove bay leaves prior to serving.  We served this with Angela’s E-Z Drop Biscuits.  Enjoy!