Soup!

Soup = perfect food; there's really nothing more to it than that. So, courtesy of a snow day, here are 2 of my favorites. They're variations on a theme: celery, carrots, onions, starch, other stuff, simmer. And be happy and full and warm :)

Lentil Soup

2 T oil
1 cup dry brown lentils
1/3 cup barley
1 large onion, minced
2 stalks of celery, minced
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
6 cups water
2 tsp tomato paste

Heat the oil in a medium pot. Add the lentils and barley and cook over high heat for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, tomato paste, and water. Cover and simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes until the lentils and barley are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I often use 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped, in place of the barley, and it's also good with sweet potatoes. You can also mix in finely chopped kale near the end of the cooking time.

Mushroom Barley Soup

2 T oil
1 cup barley
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 oz dried mushrooms
4 cups water

Heat the oil in a medium pot. Add the barley and cook over high heat for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the onion and celery and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, both types of mushrooms and water. Cover and simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes until the barley is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I've added a little bit of dill to this in the past, but I really like it better "unseasoned" to let the flavor of the mushrooms shine. (The dried mushrooms are key, although I suppose you could leave them out and substitute mushroom broth for the water.) It's really good served with a little sour cream or plain yogurt.