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Friday, November 12, 2010

chickpea tomato barley soup

One thing that I love about soups is that you can fill them with healthful ingredients and still feel like you are having a rich and decadent feast! 
And!
a)  Soup is probably one of the most healthy things that you can whip up in your kitchen.
b)  Soup is one of the cheapest dishes you can make.
c)  Soup uses all of those leftover odds and ends of those veggies that you don't want to use in your fridge's crisper.

Need more convincing?  Try this one and you will be!


Chickpea Tomato Barley Soup
Serves 4-6.
Adapted from Buff Chickpea (don't you just love that name?!)
3 tablespoons butter (or olive oil if you want to go even heathlier!)
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
4 cups chicken stock
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup barley, rinsed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, for garnish, optional



*Have you figured this part out yet??*
Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onion, carrots, and celery and saute until golden, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, bay and spices and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add stock and tomato sauce and bring to a boil.  Add chickpeas and barley, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, until barley is tender.  Serve with cilantro, if using, and enjoy!!

8 comments:

  1. jessica lowe referred me to your page and you will be a GO TO from NOW ON!! I love the recipes i've read so far, and i love the fact that i can freeze them!! DUH! dinner time is so crazy for me, it would be much better if i can just pop something scrumptious in the oven that i've prepared on a diff day. woohoo for your bloggity blog!

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  2. Hhaha, thanks! She's my celebrity friend and my poor little blog needed some help!! :) Or some friends...whatever! Glad you are here!

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  3. This looks delicious. I will definitely plan to try it out this weekend! Now that it's finally getting colder out (well, as "cold" as it can get in SoCal), I'm always happy to have some yummy soup!

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  4. I just made it and it is absolutely delicious! Do you know if I can freeze it for later?

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  5. Oh, I'm so glad you like it!! :) And, personally, I freeze almost everything. My husband eats lots of leftovers for his lunches :) I'm real crazy about texture so you might find that the texture is a bit different, but really, it's probably just me. So, sorry for the babbling, but yes, I have frozen it before and it's just fine. Come back soon!!

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  6. You have me convinced! I'll take a bowl please!

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  7. I hope you try it! It's healthy and really good :)

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