Recently, on a cold, rainy day, I drove up the California coast to Corona del Mar to have lunch with my sister, Cheri Harris. She served this hearty, vegetarian soup, an ideal entree for the cold, wet weather, made even more enjoyable because we were looking out at the stormy sea. This soup can be served as a first course, as well as a completely satisfying entree.

For an even lower-fat version of this recipe, you can eliminate the butter completely and cook the onions, covered, over very low heat until they are soft and translucent and then follow the rest of the recipe as written. You can also add leftover, cooked poultry or meat to the soup, if you desire. I have called for only 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper in this recipe, but I suggest that you taste the soup before serving and adjust the seasoning to your own palate.

MUSHROOM & BARLEY SOUP

1 tablespoon butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped, 1 1/2 cups

1 pound fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced, 4 cups

6 cups water

1/3 cup pearl barley, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Melt the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.

View Comments

Add the mushrooms and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Add the water, barley, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes or until the barley is tender. Stir in the soy sauce and simmer for 5 more minutes.

Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the chopped parsley. Serve hot. Makes 6 servings

Each 1-cup serving contains approximately: 89 calories; 3 gm fat; 5 mg cholesterol; 496 mg sodium; 15 gm carbohydrates; 4 gm protein; 3 gm fiber.

Jeanne Jones is a consultant on menu planning, recipes and new-product development for major hotels and spas. She also is the author of 32 cookbooks, most recently "Jeanne Jones Home Style Cooking Made Healthy" (Rodale Press, $27.95). Send your recipe for revision to: Cook It Light, (Deseret News) P.O. Box 1212, La Jolla, CA 92038. Please include a stamped (55 cents), self-addressed envelope. (C) King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.