My new favorite recipe

Just a quick one to tell you how much I love this soup!
I would have taken a picture--but it's already gone.
These are my modifications:
I skipped the mushrooms and fresh basil,
used quick-cooking barley (about 2/3 cup)
used fire-roasted tomatoes
used dry thyme & added just a bit extra crushed red pepper--just be careful or it will be too spicy!!!


Spicy Beef and Barley Soup from Cooking Light magazine


"If you like spicy food, increase the crushed red pepper. If you don't like things hot, just cut back. This is a great dish to come home to on a work night." --Amy Burroughs, Milwaukie, OR


2 teaspoons canola oil
1 (1 1/2-pound) eye-of-round steak, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sliced onion
2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) slices carrot
2 cups sliced mushrooms (about 8 ounces)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 thyme sprig

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef evenly on all sides with freshly ground black pepper and salt. Add beef and onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes, turning to brown beef on all sides. Remove beef mixture from pan; place in an electric slow cooker.
Add carrot and mushrooms to pan; sauté 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add carrot mixture, broth, barley, basil, crushed red pepper, tomatoes, and thyme sprig to slow cooker; stir well to combine. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour. Reduce heat to LOW; cook 6 hours. Discard thyme.



Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 2/3 cups)

CALORIES 319 (32% from fat); FAT 11.5g (sat 3.9g,mono 5g,poly 1.1g); PROTEIN 30.4g; CHOLESTEROL 46mg; CALCIUM 63mg; SODIUM 725mg; FIBER 5.9g; IRON 3.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 23.3g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2007