Quick and Easy Barley Soup

[source]

Hey all! As you know I am frolicking the streets of Beantown cuddled up in a cozy apartment in Beantown.

So I prepped this delish cold weather recipe beforehand to share with you.

The weather has dropped significantly in the past couple days and alll I’m cravin’ is a big bowl of veggie filled soup. YUM!

Luckily my bestest friend JH was so sweet and sent me a recipe her mom made for her family adapted from “The Ultimate Cookbook Collection: Better Homes and Gardens”.

It’s healthy and it’s quick (AKA you don’t have to make everything from scratch)!

What You’ll Need:

3  1/2 cups vegetable broth
3/4  cup quick-cooking barley
3/4  cup thinly sliced carrot
1    teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/8  teaspoon black pepper
1    19 0z. can (or 2 1/3 cups) ready to serve tomato basil soup (low sodium!)
2    cups coarsely chopped zucchini and/or yellow summer squash (as it is getting into fall time you can substitute with winter squash like butternut or sweet potatoes and cook a bit longer)
1     cup loose-pack frozen cut beans

(I also think mushrooms (button, cremini, shitake) would taste really good in this soup, so feel free to add some into the mix!)

Directions:

1) In a large saucepan combine broth, barley, carrot, thyme, and pepper. Bring to a  boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

2) Stir in tomato basil soup, zucchini/squash, and green beans. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes more or until vegetable and barley are tender.