Lunch
This hearty beef, barley, mushroom soup is loaded with flavour but its best features are the protein and fibre content. It is a delicious balanced meal in a bowl!
Ingredients
Serves: 4
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) oil
- ¾ lb./340 g boneless round steak or fast fry steak, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) cubes
- ½ cup (125 mL) each chopped onion, celery and carrot
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups (500 mL) finely chopped mushrooms
- 1 cup (250 mL) chopped green cabbage
- 1 cup (250 mL) peeled, chopped parsnip
- 1 tsp (5 mL) black pepper
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup (125 mL) small green lentils
- ½ cup (125 mL) pearl barley
- 3 cups (750 mL) reduced sodium beef broth
- 5 cups (1.25 L) water
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium-high. Cook steak for 4-5 minutes until browned on all sides. Remove steak to a plate and set aside, returning saucepan to stove.
- Add onion, garlic, celery, carrots and mushrooms into the same pan. Cook 5 to 7 minutes until softened. Reduce heat to medium, add cabbage, parnsips, pepper and thyme; cook and stir occasionally for another 5 minutes.
- Add bay leaves, lentils, barley, broth and water to saucepan. Bring to a boil and return beef to pan. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered for 40 to 45 minutes.
- Remove bay leaf before ladling into bowls. Note: if soup thickens as it sits or upon storing in the refrigerator, simply add a little more water to thin it out.
Tips
- Nutrition know-how: This soup is a balanced plate in a bowl with ¼ grains, ¼ protein and a full cup of veggies per serving. If you usually eat more veggies and fruit at meals, try adding a side tossed salad or pair it with a piece of fruit.
- Low Glycemic: Barley is a lower glycemic index grain thanks to its high fibre content. Lower GI foods release glucose more slowly into the blood and so slows down the absorption of sugar post meals.
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| Amount | % Daily Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories 350 | |||
| Fat 7 g | 9 % | ||
| Saturated Fat 1.5 g + Trans Fat 0.1 g | 8 % | ||
| Cholesterol 45 mg | |||
| Sodium 520 mg | 23 % | ||
| Carbohydrate 47 g | |||
| Fibre 11 g | 39 % | ||
| Sugars 6 g | 6 % | ||
| Protein 30 g | |||