AlexH

From flylady.net:

Italian Lentil and Barley Soup

Several of my friends from high school and I have a long-established tradition of getting together for a “reunion” during the Christmas season. As I’m the only one who still lives in the area where we grew up, I’ve become hostess to our annual gathering. I plan for a light, healthy lunch as a counterpoint to all the rich food that’s served during the holidays. This soup was a big hit when I made it for my friends. Add a simple loaf of Italian or French bread and some olive oil for dipping, and you’ve got a great meal!

I made this soup yesterday and it turned out really well. I had some carrots/celery/onions chopped up and frozen that I was going to use for a soup stock, but they still looked palatable and not freezer burned, so I used those. Everything was ready the night before except for the stewed tomatoes and minced garlic. All I had in the pantry was whole tomatoes, so I had to cut those up in the morning. Morning prep time was about 5 minutes, and would have been shorter with stewed tomatoes. I’ll definitely make this recipe again.