1¾ cups low-sodium vegetable or 1 In a medium saucepan, bring broth chicken broth to a boil. Add barley, cover pan and 3/4 cup barley, rinsed reduce heat to low for 30-40 minutes 2 tablespoons olive oil until barley is tender and broth is 1 large onion, thinly sliced absorbed. (about 1½ cups) 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 2 Meanwhile, prepare all vegetables. ½ pound mushrooms, quartered Heat oil in a large skillet over medium- ½ teaspoon salt (optional) high heat. Sauté onion, garlic, salt and 4 cups vegetables cut in ½ inch mushrooms until onion is soft, about 3 cubes (e.g. carrots, parsnips, minutes. Add root vegetables and pep- Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, yam) per, sauté for another 5 minutes, stirring ½ teaspoon black pepper frequently to prevent burning. 1 15 ounce can tomatoes with mild 3 Add tomatoes, reduce heat to green chilies, undrained medium-low, cover and simmer until 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips vegetables are tender, about 8-10 ½ cup flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped minutes. 3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs: rosemary, thyme, sage 4 Add bell pepper, parsley and barley 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese to skillet and mix well. Cover and sim- mer until heated through. Combine herbs with cheese, garnish and serve. Per serving with salt: 258 calories, 14g protein, 44g carbohydrate, 7g fat, 2g sat fat, 4g mono fat, 4mg cholesterol, 9g fiber, 460 mg sodiumWithout salt: 260mg sodium
The Seasoned Cook: Dried herbs work equally well in this recipe. Add 22 them with the tomatoes in step 3. Cooking vegetables in a large skillet instead of a pot allows them to caramelize (turn brown), which boosts flavor.