The ice and snow we have had recently had me craving soup, but not just any soup. Not only did I want something to warm me up but I needed something filing as well. Plus I was really craving vegetables. I found this recipe in Matt Fitzgerald and Georgie Fear’s cookbook, Racing Weight, which has become my go-to cookbook for yummy, easy to fix recipes designed with the athlete in mind! In other words, every dish I have made from this book leaves me feeling satisfied!
I adapted this recipe to fit my tastes and to provide me with a little more protein and below is my version of the soup. It is super easy and makes 4 servings and takes approximately 35 minutes to prepare.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 cups water
- 1 cup pearl barley, rinsed and drained
- 1 6-ounce can organic tomato paste
- 2 cups Swiss chard (or spinach), finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 handful fresh basil, shredded
- 1 16-ounce can great northern beans or cannellini beans
- Feta cheese to taste
- 2 cups vegetable broth*
Directions:
In a large pot, heat olive oil and garlic over medium heat and cook until fragrant. (I also sprayed a little olive oil cooking spray to completely coat my pan.)
Add water and barley, and raise to high heat. When water boils, turn down to low and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Add tomato paste, chard, and salt, and stir to dissolve tomato paste. Simmer for 15 minutes longer. Add basil and beans for the last 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Serve with feta cheese sprinkled on top of soup.
*This is the first time I have cooked with barley and didn’t realize how much of the liquid would be absorbed by the leftover soup. I added 2 cups of organic vegetable broth the following day because I wanted a more liquid consistency versus a chunky feel. For my leftovers I topped it with avocado slices instead of feta cheese.
Final Thoughts:
I must say I am in love with barley and will be looking for other ways to include it in my meals. I love the texture which is almost crunchy but yet soft. It has a bit of a nutty flavor which adds interest to an otherwise boring tomato soup. It’s been the perfect meal for my post treadmill runs in the cold garage! It was also a nice change of pace to the previous 3 days of meat which included pot roast, elk backstrap, roasted veggies, mashed potatoes and gravy.
Snow makes me grateful for a treadmill in the garage!
Hi Beverly! I too have dealt with issues that caused me to develop an auto-immune disease back in 2001. After moving to Arkansas 9 years ago I often found myself feeling really alone because I didn’t know anyone, but then made some local friends. Even after moving over to Little Rock, all of my friends were health coaches. I thank social media for helping me to have people to talk to (friends and family back in Michigan and here in Arkansas) That connection is invaluable. It wasn’t until about a year ago that I realized that if I am under stress I don’t even know it. I don’t really feel it physically. This dumbfounded me because my stress hormone was high, but I didn’t feel bad. Anxiety also acts similarly like fear towards me, but I do feel the butterflies of anxiety now. Working out on a regular basis has helped me to squash stress and anxiety. Plus now, cbd oil has been the biggest and most fantastic way I have been able to cope after being homebound and stuck on the couch since April with a severely sprained ankle. Even getting on a plane (which I hate to do) I had no anxiety at all. I feel super relaxed these days, and finally I am able to begin working out….not running at this time, but I can move and walk a few miles a day now. It has been so helpful to connect with other coaches like yourself and speak more about this. In not speaking about it more diseases can pop up unexpectedly and we never want this to happen. It is time to Heal. Love ya Beverly!!
Great points Heidi! Like you, I didn’t even know I was suffering from anxiety until I sought help sorting through all the craziness in my life. Hmm…CBD oil…who knew! I agree, we need to speak out more. I think too many people put up a front and suffer in silence!
Thank you for sharing your story. You are so brave. If you ever want to compare notes on fear, anxiety, grief, not being able to get out of bed, coping with and without running as your crutch, reinventing yourself, truly finding your faith in Christ; my heart always has time and a place for you and your twin!!! ❤️ Conlin.cathy@gmail.com
Oh I bet you could Cathy! Thank you so much for sharing. I don’t think we talk about mental health enough. I am so proud of you for finding your faith and strength in the Lord. He is ever present, evening our worst storms!
Hi Beverly,
I so miss connecting with you all! I too have very much shared your journey. I’m on the other side of it now but am changing many things in my life wich as you know comes with its own grieving as we leave the old behind. It’s lovely to see you share your story as I know it helps many of us.
Would love to get together again.
Hugs,
Kelley
Kelley I miss you too! Thank you for your kind words and your support. We need to get the Soul Sisters together again!