Barley – An Oldie but a Goodie

This is the last day of Great Grains Week, so I thought I’d highlight a grain I love, although it’s pearl barley I’ve used more that the whole grain.

Photo courtesy of eleda

Barley is one of the oldest cultivated grains. Egyptians buried mummies with necklaces of barley, and centuries later Edward I of England standardized the inch as equal to “three barley seeds.” It is a highly-adaptable crop, growing north of the Arctic circle and as far south as Ethiopia.

Barley has a particularly tough hull, which is difficult to remove without losing some of the bran. Hulled barley, available at health food stores, retains more of the whole-grain nutrients but is very slow-cooking. New varieties of hull-less barley are starting to become available. Lightly pearled barley is not technically a whole grain (as small amounts of the bran are missing) – but it's full of fiber and much healthier than a fully-refined grain.

Health bonus: The fiber in barley is especially healthy; it may lower cholesterol even more effectively than oat fiber.

One of my favorite recipes using barley is Beef, Mushroom, and Barley Soup. I know what you’re saying, Beef? Isn’t beef on the high fat list?

Yes, beef is higher in fat than chicken, but as I’ve always touted, I like to be able to eat everything I enjoy within moderation, and I love this soup. The beef, mushroom, and barley combination is fantastic. So, yes, once in a while, I do enjoy beef.

There’s nothing better and more relaxing to me than making a big pot of soup, cutting the ingredients, and smelling the soup as it cooks. When you’re cooped up from all that snow, put a warm pot of soup on the stove and let it simmer for a couple of hours. Make a loaf of bread, and by dinnertime, you’re sitting pretty.

Beef, Mushroom, and Barley Soup

• 3 cups water
• ½ lb stew beef
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 carrot, thinly sliced
• 4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 2 (10 ounce) packages sliced mushrooms
• 5 cups beef broth
• 2 teaspoons powdered garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Cut the beef into small pieces and add it to the water. Bring it to a boil in a large soup pot. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 2 hours, or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, stir in the onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, and cook 5 minutes more. Add to the cooked, tender beef.
3. Pour in beef broth and barley, and bring soup to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and continue simmering 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Pour some into a bowl and enjoy.

I know that over the course of this week, several of the recipes highlighted have been soup. Due to the longer cooking time grains require, soup is a great way to enjoy them. Plus, with low-fat broth based soups, eating them is a joy, filling you up, but still keeping the calorie numbers down.

So, what do you do to keep warm and cozy on a cold winter day? Is making soup something you’ve thought about? Or do you like to do something else? Let us know……………….:)

After all, it’s about a healthy lifestyle!

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