It’s finally April 1st! Did you torture your kids with tricks today? Grease the doorknobs, booby-trap the kitchen faucet, or tell them they had a snow day? Though I’ve abstained from all of that so far (I hate to see tears before school), last night I was beginning to think someone was starting April Fool’s Day a bit early.
My haddock has gone missing.
I ordered at the store, purchased it, and brought it home, as far as I can remember. I’ve looked in the fridge (4 times), the freezer (3 times), the car, the garage, the shopping bags, and even the cupboards. I even called to the store to see if I’d left it behind (nope).
Where’s my fish?? I just know I haddock, so why can’t I find it??
Terrible play on words, I know, but not as terrible as having to scramble eggs to go with dinner because your entrée is playing hide-and-seek. I’ll be sure to report back if we ever solve this mystery.
It’s no mystery, however, that I love to make soup.
It’s warm on a cold night, I always seem to have the staples on hand to make it (broth, veggies, and grain), and there are a million ways to do it. Lately I’ve been digging barley-based soups, because I love the way barley thickens it all up, and because I love its chewy texture and nutty flavor. It also adds a heartiness that cold-weather soups require. You can use common pearl barley, which takes about 30-40 minutes to cook, or quick-cooking barley, which only takes about 10 minutes. Pearl barley can also be soaked ahead of time for a few hours, which will reduce the cooking time to about 15 minutes.
For this soup, I used fully cooked chicken sausages from Thin ‘n Trim, a brand I like because they do not use added nitrites. Barley, spinach, carrots, and celery make up the rest, with a little grated Parmesan cheese at the end for a little flavor. Either finely grate fresh Parmesan, or use the store-bought grated Parmesan. I used a pre-shredded fresh Parm, which was tasty, but it globbed together in the soup a bit, rather than subtly melting in. Still the flavor was fab, so go for it! While I did this via the crockpot so I would not have to hang around and tend to it, this is absolutely a weeknight one-pot wonder as well. With quick barley, this only takes about 15 minutes on the stove (5 minutes to bring to a boil, then simmered for 10 minutes to allow the barley to cook and the veggies to soften).
You make this while I hunt for the haddock. I imagine, if it is in my house, it will make its presence known soon enough. :-/
Chicken Sausage and Barley Soup
Serves 6
Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: ~6 hours – crockpot
~40 minutes – stovetop (regular barley)
~15 minutes – stovetop (quick-cooking barley)
8 cups less sodium, reduced fat chicken broth
10 oz fully cooked chicken sausage, any flavor (like Thin ‘n Trim)
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 medium celery stalk, trimmed and diced
1 cup pearl barley, soaked overnight in twice as much water, then drained *
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Handful of torn spinach
Add the broth, sausage, carrots, celery, and onion powder to the crockpot. Cook, covered, on low for 4-5 hours. Add the drained barley, cover, and continue cooking for another 1-2 hours. A few minutes before serving, add the Parmesan and spinach. Adjust seasonings and add salt and pepper to taste.
If using the stovetop method, combine the broth, sausage, carrots, celery, onion power, and barley in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to simmer for 30-40 minutes, until barley is cooked through. Add the Parmesan and spinach just before serving. Adjust seasonings and add salt and pepper to taste.
*If using quick-cooking barley, soaking is not necessary. Simply add the barley to the crockpot in the final hour, or follow the stovetop directions, cooking for just 10 minutes instead of 30-40.
ENJOY!
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