I am posting this from my hotel room in Columbia, Missouri. I flew out to visit with my son, a student athlete here, and to attend a unique sporting event: ‘ The Beauty and the Beast’. Unlike most sporting events, this event features two sports competing on the same floor simultaneously: women’s gymnastics and college wrestling. Sitting amoung 7000 cheering fans was just what I needed to cure my cabin fever!
Yes, cabin fever! When the weather turns cold and raw, my routine changes. Although I continue to run outside every morning (or almost every morning), most of my time after that is spent indoors. Wilmington has had just enough cold winter days to make me feel as though I ‘ve been hibernating. So what does someone who likes the outdoors do inside? I stay fairly caught up on work, I get plenty of sleep and enjoy making warm, hearty meals. In today’s post I want to share a recipe for a mushroom barley soup that keeps me warm, both physically and psychologically. You can enjoy this soup with a sandwich for lunch or in a mug for a snack while you cuddle up in a chair with a good book.
What warm foods have you made for comfort this winter?
Crockpot Mushroom Barley Soup
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons of butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 3 stalks of celery, chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 pound of cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced
- 3 quarts reduced chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup pearl barley
Instructions
Melt the butter in a large stockpot. Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and sauté until tender, but not brown. Add the mushrooms and cook until just soft. Pour vegetable mixture into a large crockpot and add broth, seasonings, and barley. Cook on high for 4 hours.
I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was good.
I don’t know who you are but certainly you’re going
to a famous blogger if you aren’t already 😉 Cheers!