January is national soup month

Beef Barley

2 lbs. pot roast (beef shoulder) cut into ½ inch pieces and seasoned with S & P
olive oil
1 cup carrot, diced
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 package mixed mushrooms
2 tsps. minced garlic

8 cups beef stock

¾ cup barley
1 14.5 ounce can diced drained tomatoes
2 Tbls. chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

Heat 3-4 Tbls. olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Sear meat on all sides until browned about 5 minutes. Remove meat and set aside. Add carrots, green pepper and onions and sauté until soft, then add the mushrooms and garlic.

Return meat to the pot and add stock. Simmer until meat is very tender; about 3 hours.
If you have an oven-proof pot, it can be place in the oven at 275-300 degrees.

Next, add barley and diced tomatoes and cook an additional hour, until barley is soft.

Check for salt and pepper and finish with chopped parsley. If necessary, add more stock.

Serves 8.


Red Lentil and Sausage

4 cups chicken stock
4 cups beef stock
1 lb. cup dried red lentils

2 Tbls. olive oil
1/3 cup each: celery, carrot and onion
1 ½ tsps. garlic

2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. thyme

12 ounces diced tomatoes; drained

¾ lb. hot Italian sausage (bulk), cooked

Add olive oil to large pot and sauté carrot, celery and onion until tender add rosemary and thyme. Add stocks to pot, add lentils and tomatoes, cover and simmer about 30 minutes or until lentil are tender Using a slotted spoon, puree one-third on the lentils in a food processor, return to pot.
Add Italian sausage and check for salt and pepper, or if you need to add a bit more stock. Serves 8.


Tortilla Soup

1 chile pasilla; stemmed, seeded, crushed and fried in a little oil
1 14 ½ oz. can crushed tomatoes, drained
½ white onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbls. oil
½ tsp. cumin powder

1 ½ quarts chicken stock
1 chicken breast, poached and shredded
¼ cup chopped cilantro

Sauté onions and garlic until translucent, add tomatoes let cook for about 3-5 minutes.
Add cumin powder.
Stir in chicken stock and simmer 20-30 minutes.
Add shredded chicken.
Just before serving, add cilantro.

Garnish:
6 corn tortillas, sliced in thin strips and fried in about ½ cup oil
1 avocado finely chopped
1 cup jack or chihuahua cheese
1 lime cut into wedges

Heat oil in frying pan and fry tortillas until crisp. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Ladle soup into bowls, top with cheese, tortilla strips, diced avocado and serve with a squeeze of lime. Serves 6.