Vegetable Barley Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 c. barley (long or quick cooking)
2 qt. meat stock or canned broth (low-sodium)
1/2 c. diced carrots
1/2 c. diced celery
1/2 c. diced onion
1 lb. can whole tomatoes (low sodium), drained, or 3 to 4 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 tsp. thyme leaves, crushed
1 bay leaf
1/2 lb. fresh sliced mushrooms
1 small zucchini, diced

Preparation

If using long-cooking barley, rinse barley in colander and remove any foreign objects.
In small soup pot, combine barley with meat stock or broth.
Cook over medium heat about 1 hour. Add carrots, celery, onion, tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf. Continue cooking for 20 minutes.
Add mushrooms and zucchini and if using quick cooking barley, add it now.
Cook over low heat another 15 minutes.
Makes 8 servings (1 cup each).