Soup

This is a recipe I've had forever, written down. The paper I wrote it on is fraying around the edges and some of the ingredients you can barely make out ("How many tbsps?"...) So I thought I would type it up. I remember getting it from (what I thought was) a pregnancy magazine? Maybe it was "Parents" magazine? I don't even remember. But I have been in the mood for soups lately. And I remembered this one... I haven't made it in forever.

Lentil Barley Soup

2 onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

4 carrots, chopped

4 celery stalks, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 tsps dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper (cracked red pepper)

5 14 oz cans fat-free chicken broth (a little over 8 1/2 cups broth-can use vegetable broth if vegetarian)

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 cup dried lentils

1 cup pearl barley

2 Tbsps tomato paste

Spray a 4 quart saucepan or big pot w/ nonstick spray. Add onions, garlic, cook til translucent. Add carrots, celery, bell pepper, basil, oregano, and red pepper. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.

Mix in crushed tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring mixture to a boil. Stir in lentils and barley. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Serve.

Per serving: 249 calories, 0.6 gm fat, 1 mg cholesterol

I don't know how much a serving size is, I never wrote that down.