Bringing you your daily dose of travel and adventure and sometimes some good stuff to eat!!!

This is week # 2.

So how is everyone doing ? Hope you have been trying these heart healthy  RV friendly soups. This healthy soup recipe is chock-full of sturdy root vegetables and whole-grain barley. You can use any combination of dried and fresh mushrooms here. The soup will thicken as it sits on the stove—thin it as needed with more broth or water. Just as tasty omitting the protein. ♥

INGREDIENTS:

1 ounce dried shiitake or porcini mushrooms, soaked in  2 cups boiling water                 NOTE: soak for 30 minutes or can cover and leave overnight overnight for additional flavor

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion   chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 medium carrots chopped

8 ounces fresh shiitake or baby bella mushrooms, stems removed, caps coarsely chopped

8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced

1 Teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 Tablespoon fresh diced thyme

1 Teaspoon lemon pepper

Salt and  Coarsely ground pepper to taste

2 Cups of leftover roasted turkey or chicken (1 inch pieces)

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

½ cup pearl barley
Preparation

Soak dried mushrooms in boiling water for 20 minutes or overnight for addition flavor. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve the liquid. Squeeze the mushrooms to remove excess liquid, then dice. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion cook until slightly caramelized, stirring, until very soft, about 4 minutes. Add carrots, all of the fresh mushrooms, salt, and garlic; cook, stirring, until the vegetables start to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add broth, barley, thyme, the reserved soaking liquid and chopped soaked mushrooms. Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover and simmer until the barley is tender, about 50 minutes.  Add roasted turkey or chicken to heat through .About 4 minutes.

Nutrition information
Serving size: 1¼ cups each
Per serving: 241 calories 9 g fat(2 g sat); 4 g fiber; 24 g carbohydrates; 18 g protein; 44 mcg folate; 38 mg cholesterol; 4 g sugars; 0 g added sugars; 3147 IU vitamin A; 6 mg vitamin C; 47 mg calcium; 2 mg iron; 401 mg sodium; 611 mg potassium
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (63% daily value)
Carbohydrate Servings: 1½
Exchanges: ½ starch, 2½ vegetable, 1½ lean meat, ½ fat

I adapted this recipe from: EatingWell Magazine, November/December 2016. I changed some of the ingredients to lessen the fat and use a leaner type of protein.

Until next week Cheers from Just Around The Bend ♥

Next Week:  Curry Chicken Veggie Soup, very addicting and figure friendly