Heart Healthy Lemon Barley Asparagus Soup
8 servings
1 bunch fresh asparagus rough chopped
3 ribs celery & leaves (the leaves have a lot of flavor)
1 large chopped shallot
1/2 chopped onion
1 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 or 2 Tbs butter or healthy spread
(there is no meat or chicken stock in this soup the butter and oil help add flavor)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
a sprinkle of natural lemon pepper is good in this too
1 tsp turmeric
1 kaffir lime leaf or 1 lemon grass stick(remove these before blending)
1/2 tsp sea salt
(you can adjust the salt at the end and add more if needed)
3 Tbs Tamari Soy Sauce or Braggs Liquid Aminos
(this adds a meaty flavor as well as salt)
Sweat(with lid on adjusted to low) all of the above till tender in a medium sized pot
When done add 1 1/2 cups cooked barley
4 cups water
fresh grated zest of lemon rind
juice of half a lemon
simmer for 5 minutes
transfer to blender or food processor in batches & blend until smooth & creamy
If you eat dairy products you can add 1/2 to 1/4 C. cream, sour cream, half & half, evaporated milk or skim milk.
or you can add plain soy milk, almond milk or rice milk.
Keeps in fridge nicely for a week
Did you know you can grow this in the south? I have with good results it's great looking in the garden too. I love this herb/grass it has a lemony flavor and is great in green tea, in fact it was an ingredient in lemon & red zinger tea made by Celestial Seasonings. You can also use this in other soups and dishes. Once you find it experiment with it. I have found letting it steep overnight in water or boiling it in my soup or sauce stocks helps release the lemon flavor and aroma.
Cooking Organic Pearled Barley
I am posting some recipes for a barley risotto at my other web site
1 C barley
2 C water
Boil and then simmer for approx 35 minutes until tender
(Or soak for 5 hours or overnight, this decreases the cooking time to 15 minutes,
it saves energy and makes the grain a little more digestible
for people with grain allergies.)
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