For Los Angeles, the weather has been pretty uncharacteristic…rainy and cold.  What better to curl up with than a nice hot bowl of soup?  Here is a great one…mushroom barley soup.  You can adjust the amount of barley and use whatever veggies you want.

1 Cup of Barley

2 Cups of Chopped Carrots

1 1/2 Containers of White Button Mushrooms

1 Can of White Beans

1 Cup Frozen Edamame

1 Quart Vegetable Stock

Olive Oil

Black Pepper, Garlic Salt, Onion Powder, Salt to taste

Sliced Olives and Shredded Cheese for garnish

Cook barley to package’s instructions

Chop carrots into bite sized pieces

Place cooked barley in bowl

Coat the bottom of the pot with olive oil

Place carrots in pot and cover to cook. (Make sure heat is on low)

Let carrots steam while you clean mushrooms with damp towel and slice (approximately 15 minutes)

Remove carrots from heat and coat bottom of pot with olive oil again

Place mushrooms in pot and sautee until cooked

Add carrots back to pot and add vegetable stock

Add edamame and beans

Season with spices

Once the vegetable stocks comes to a boil, add barley

Bring to boil again and season again with spices

Reduce heat to low and let soup simmer for about an hour for the taste to develop

Serve and garnish with shredded cheese and olives

What are your favorite soups to eat during cold weather?  Leave the name in the comments below!

Stay hungry…