Barley Stew

The thing I love about barley is you don't have to soak it before cooking so if you want soup (which we quite often do!) you can have it in a hurry. You can cook barley just like rice 1:2 ratio with water and seasonings or chicken broth and then fluff after it's done cooking, or if using it in soups just throw it in whatever stock you use and let it simmer for about 45 minutes or until tender.

For my stew I cooked up some italian sausage in my dutch oven on the stove until it was about halfway cooked and crumbled it. Then I added some onion and garlic and let that get nice and toasty. I added the barley (1 small package) and five cups of water seasoned with beef "better than bouillion" which tastes so much better than buillion! Let it simmer for 35 minutes, added some kale, romanesco, and tiny turnips. Basically the veggies I had leftover in the fridge. You could add pretty much anything to it. I let it simmer about another 15 minutes and then it was done! We eat soup or stew at least once a week during the winter since Matt walks in the door starved and I can have it done early and heat it up when he gets back.