I love soup. One of my most favorite meals. Especially on a Sunday like today. It’s not as cold as I had thought, only in the mid-twenties, but it is snowin’! I look out my windows and see a white landscape, so soft, fresh and crisp. I love it. One of the several reasons why we wanted to leave Southern California-seasons. So since it is Sunday, and since I am unable to stop kissing my sons when they are sick, alas, I am sick. We are a household in our jammies, fire going and Disney movies on a loop. We are cozy! I thought what could I prepare tonight for dinner in my weakened state (no, moms are not allowed to become weakened)? I looked in my current magazine and recipe piles, focusing on something fairly simple and using the ingredients I already have in the house. I came across this soup recipe and realized I had most of the ingredients and what would be more soothing for a sore throat and cold weather than soup? (And home-made bread).
I do not have spinach or quick-cooking barley. I do have pearl barley and although it will take longer to cook, I prefer it. Instead of cooking the barley in the soup and chance the grain soaking up all of the liquid, I am going to cook the barley on the side and then add it to the soup, with the broth. I was more bummed that I didn’t have a fennel bulb not only for the taste but also because fennel is high in vitamin C, good for the immune system, or what is left of mine. This soup is easy, healthy, cheap and delicious. The soup is hearty and very low in calories (only 323 for 2 1/2 cups). This soup also freezes really well.
Happy cooking! Cheers to warm, cozy and lazy dayz.
Ingredients
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium fennel bulb, cored and chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 15-ounce can cannellini or other white beans, rinsed
1 14-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
3/4 cup quick-cooking barley
1 5-ounce package baby spinach (6 cups)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Preparation
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, fennel, garlic, and basil; cook, stirring frequently, until tender and just beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Mash 1/2 cup of the beans. Stir the mashed and whole beans, tomatoes, broth and barley into the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the barley is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in cheese and pepper.
High Altitude Adjustment
- None
Compost
- Onion, fennel, garlic and spinach trimmings
Recycle
- Bean can/lid, tomato can/lid and spinach bag
Reuse
- Plastic bags vegetables came in
