Hearty Bean And Barley Soup

• 7 cups fat free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 (4-inch) rosemary sprigs
• 1 (19-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup finely chopped carrot
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley
• 10 cup torn spinach leaves (about 4 ounces)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1. Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 15 minutes. Drain through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids.
2. Measure 1 cup beans, and mash with a fork in a small bowl. Reserve the remaining whole beans.
3. Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add onions, carrot, and celery; cook 4 minutes. Add broth mixture, mashed beans, whole beans, tomatoes, and barley; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. Stir in spinach and black pepper; cook 5 minutes or until barley is tender. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.
4. To ensure rich flavor, add garlic and herbs to canned broth for a homemade taste. Mashing a portion of the beans gives the soup extra body.

chicken broth, red pepper, garlic, rosemary sprigs, dark red kidney beans, olive oil, onion, carrot, celery, tomatoes, barley, torn spinach leaves, freshly ground black pepper, parmesan cheese

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/hearty-bean-barley-soup (may not work)