National soup month

All right I'm declaring this a "National soup month" because I like soups, and it's that time of year for soups, and soups make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I have so many ideas in my head, that it just seems appropriate to express that before I loose another brain cell, (post having a baby) and forget everything I've thought about. It really does happen, and you know who you are. This month....... focusing on soups, but some fun things in between.


I spotted a recipe in a "Living magazine" that inspired me so much, that by the time I got through changing it all, my recipe sounded and looked nothing like it.  The soup looked so rich, and the broth looked amazing, so I decided to run off those thoughts and create a soup to call my own.

Roasted vegetable & barley soup

So lets settle in for the winter.(or rain perhaps)

And snuggle in that favorite stinky blankie.

Sit down, be with your family, and have some good dang soup.

The process.

simmer the barley

roast them veggies

Pour it all in the pot

all in the pot

And enjoy

Roasted vegetable & barley soup:

Ingredients:

1 cup pearl barley(I used organic arrowhead brand)

1 32 Fl.oz. organic vegetable broth(low sodium)

1 cup water

3 carrots chopped

1 fennel bulb chopped

1 onion chopped

1 pound crimini mushrooms quartered

3 garlic cloves

4 cups kale torn in bite size pieces

4 Tb olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large stock pot, bring to boil the vegetable broth and 1 cup water; add the barley. Stir to combine, turn down heat and let simmer for 45 min until tender but still has a bite to it.(al dente) Meanwhile pre-heat oven to 425; chop veggies, and spread on large sheet pan. Drizzle veggies with 4 tablespoons olive oil, and season with salt, and pepper; roast about 30 minutes. Add roasted veggies to soup along with enough water to cover everything in the pot.(the barley will have absorbed a lot of the vegetable broth so don't worry if not much liquid is left before adding veggies) Bring to a boil; turn down heat to simmer about 15 minutes. Add the kale, and cook just until tender, leaving kale still bright in color. Season if need be with salt & pepper. I served this with my own biscuits, and a nice glass of cold chardonnay. Hope you enjoy, or are inspired to make some soup.

Or eat it!!!