Mushroom Barley Soup

Makes about 3 1-cup servings

This soup takes just minutes to make if you have cooked barley on hand.

2 cups plain rice milk
2 tablespoons barley flour
1 cup cooked barley
1 4-ounce can mushrooms, undrained
¹/₄ teaspoon garlic powder
¹/₄ teaspoon salt
1 pinch dried marjoram
1 pinch dried sage
1 pinch dried thyme
1 pinch dried dill weed

Place rice milk and flour into a blender. Blend on high speed for a few seconds. Add barley and blend on high for about 10 seconds, or until barley is coarsely chopped.

Add mushrooms and their liquid. Blend just enough to coarsely chop mushrooms.

Transfer the blended mixture to a medium saucepan and add all remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, or until the soup is hot and somewhat thickened.

Per 1-cup serving

• Calories: 172
• Fat: 1.7 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.2 g
• Calories from Fat: 8.9%
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Protein: 3.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 36.7 g
• Sugar: 9 g
• Fiber: 4.1 g
• Sodium: 350 mg
• Calcium: 213 mg
• Iron: 1 mg
• Vitamin C: 0.9 mg
• Beta Carotene: 9 mcg
• Vitamin E: 1.2 mg

Source: Foods That Fight Pain by Neal Barnard, M.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.