Red Bean And Barley Soup

• 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

1. In a small saucepan, combine the barley with water to cover; place over med-high heat.
2. When the water boils, decrease heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Drain barley, rinse, and drain again; set aside.
4. Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over med-high heat.
5. Add in onion; cook/stir until begins to soften, 2-3 minutes.
6. Stir in the beans and broth; bring to a boil.
7. Decrease heat to med-low, cover the saucepan, and cook 15 minutes.
8. 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.
9. Scrape the sides of the work bowl down and pulse the machine 1-2 more times.
10. Return the beans to the saucepan with the liquid and stir well to blend.
11. Add in the barley and place over med-high heat.
12. 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.
13. Stir in the parsley; season with salt to taste, and serve.
14. *You may drizzle a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil over each serving, if you wish.

pearl barley, olive oil, onion, red beans, lowfat chicken broth, salt, parsley

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/red-bean-and-barley-soup-406235 (may not work)