Mushroom & Barley Soup

Turn this into a vegetarian soup by using vegetable broth instead of the beef broth. When you add raw mushrooms to the cooking liquid, they stay plumper and give a good texture to the soup, which makes it heartier without extra calories. Serve this soup with a salad and hot, crusty bread for a winter supper.

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon basil, crushed

• 6 cups low-salt beef broth (or vegetable broth)

• 1 cup barley

• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

• 1 pound mushrooms, sliced

• 1/2 cup shredded carrots

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Editor's Note: While "regular" Worcestershire sauce has anchovies in the ingredients, a completely vegetarian Worcestershire sauce is available in health food stores.

1. In a large Dutch oven sprayed with olive oil, sauté onion and garlic until soft.

2. Add basil and beef broth, bring to a boil.

3. Add barley, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.

4. Add mushrooms and carrots. Cover and simmer 25 minutes.

5. Uncover and add cornstarch mixture and cook until thick. Add parsley and serve.

Servings:4

This recipe is excerpted from "Cooking with Herbs & Spices" by Judy Gilliard, ©1999.. Reprinted with permission from the publisher: Adams Media Corporation, Holbrook, Massachusetts.

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Judy Gilliard hosts the healthy living radio spot Judy a la Carte on radio stations nationally and has spoken and taught on the top2ic for Royal Cruise Lines, The College of the Desert, and others. She has written numerous cookbooks focusing on healthy eating.