Red Bean And Barley Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup pearl barley
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups cooked red beans (can use canned that are drained and rinsed)
4 cups low-fat chicken broth (recipe #329596) or 4 cups vegetable broth, preferably homemade (Low-Fat Chicken Stock)
salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

In a small saucepan, combine the barley with water to cover; place over med-high heat.
When the water boils, decrease heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
Drain barley, rinse, and drain again; set aside.
Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over med-high heat.
Add in onion; cook/stir until begins to soften, 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the beans and broth; bring to a boil.
Decrease heat to med-low, cover the saucepan, and cook 15 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beans and onion to a food processor and pulse 4-5 times to finely chop the beans but not puree them.
Scrape the sides of the work bowl down and pulse the machine 1-2 more times.
Return the beans to the saucepan with the liquid and stir well to blend.
Add in the barley and place over med-high heat.
When the soup comes to a boil, decrease heat to low and simmer, stirring often to prevent the barley from sticking, until the barley is tender, about 30 minutes.
Stir in the parsley; season with salt to taste, and serve.
*You may drizzle a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil over each serving, if you wish.