Finger Licking Leek Soup With Sausage And Barley - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion
3 garlic cloves
3 leeks
1 lb Italian sausage (or andouille sausage)
1 quart water
3 stock cubes, beef
1 cup barley
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese (optional)
salt

Preparation

Chop the onion and saute in the vegetable oil until tender (about 2-3 min).
Meanwhile wash well and cut the leeks into small rounds. Discard the very rough tips of the green part.
Thinly chop the garlic.
Add the leeks and garlic to the onions and cook for 10 more min or until soft.
In a separate pan brown the Italian sausage breaking it into small pieces.
Add the sausage to the leek mixture and cook for 2 more min, stirring to combine the flavors.
Add 1 quart of water to the pot and when it starts boiling add the stock cubes.
Add the barley and cook according to the package instructions. Usually takes 45 minutes.
At the end of the cooking you can sprinkle 1-2 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese. Season with salt if necessary.
The soup thickens on its own because of the starch in the barley. But If you like your soups thicker you can use 1tbsp of cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp of COLD water and add it at the end of the cooking. Slowly stir for 2 minutes.