Barley and Spring Greens
(46)
  • Number of Servings: 1
Ingredients
Canola oil spray3/4 cup chopped onions1 fennel bulb, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)1/2 Tbsp. canola oil1-3 cloves garlic (or to taste), finely chopped3/4 cup thin slices of red, orange, and/or yellow bell pepper (about 1 medium)1 cups pearl barley1 tsp. dried thyme1 tsp. dried marjoram4-5 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth1 cup spinach leaves, torn into pieces1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese2 Tbsp. finely-chopped fresh basilSalt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
1. Generously coat a large heavy pot with spray oil and place over medium-high heat. Add the onions and fennel and sauté until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Add oil and heat until hot. Add the garlic and bell peppers and sauté lightly for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in barley, thyme, marjoram and broth. Bring to a boil, immediate reduce heat to low and simmer until the liquid is almost absorbed, stirring occasionally, 40 to 50 minutes or until barley is tender. Midway through the cooking process, add salt and pepper to taste.

2. When barley is cooked, add spinach, cheese and basil. Stir to blend and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, to taste.

Makes 6 servings (approx 3/4 cups each.)

Printed with permission from the American Institute for Cancer Research. The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is the cancer charity that fosters research on diet and cancer and educates the public about the results.
Nutritional Info Amount Per Serving
  • Calories: 228.5
  • Total Fat: 4.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 2.9 mg
  • Sodium: 1,352.0 mg
  • Total Carbs: 34.8 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 7.4 g
  • Protein: 14.2 g

Member Reviews
  • VGINNY
     IF YOU DON'T LIKE SALT---DON'T USE IT!!
    THE RECIPE IS GOOD! - 1/26/11
  • KWEENIE777
     Come on people...she took a step in making a recipe and all of you are so negative. If you think it's too much salt, tweek it for your needs, but keep your negative remarks to self. NOT everyone has to watch their salt intake as perhaps you may have to! Just say thank you for recipe or skip it. - 1/26/11
  • BUNN43
     Good recipe, except for all the salt - use your own no-salt chicken broth, and don't bother adding salt for flavour - the herbs and pepper etc. are more than enough flavours. Also in our home, we use very little cheese - tasted fine without the parmesan. - 1/22/09
  • GRAMPIAN
     Just leave out the salt and it'll be fine! - 1/26/11
  • TEVA2000
     The broth used in the calculations is regular Chicken broth, not Low-Sodium. This would account for the extremely high sodium count. This probably needs to be recalculated with the low-sodium broth. - 1/22/09
  • SNOEBUD
     Wow I don't believe I have ever seen a recipe with such a high sodium count - 1/22/09
  • PATDOLL3
     I would use more greens - 10/16/08
  • CARNEY8
     Reduced fat parmesan, salt free broth and skip the "salt to taste" and you'll reduce the sodium.
    At 1,352 mg of salt, oy vey! - 4/19/08
  • JULIANWELLS
     Oh come on, people: stop whining. Not to mention the fact that most of the world is not salt suspecptible and sodium has absolutely no negative impact on their bodies. This is freaking delicious. - 10/11/12
  • GREENCAT1
     Delish! - 1/26/11
  • SUNFISHDEB
     The recipe is very good. If you are soo stupid that you have to rate a recipe on the salt content, Then PLEASE do not comment at all. We all know how to adjust a recipe for salt and other spices, You DO NOT need to comment on it. Above where I am writing this is this posted "Rate this recipe base - 1/26/11
  • SUSANBRIGHTMAN
     This recipe is definitly in my cookbook. What a delicious way to get fiber! - 6/20/10
  • SOCKKNITTER
     I never add salt to anything!! but this was okay without it. - 2/2/09
  • RHODESY
     This was extremely tastey. I did not add salt and used my own chicken stock which did not have any salt added. It went well with my salmon. - 1/22/09
  • STANSANGEL
     Thanks for sharing the recipe. Thanks to all who gave input on lowering the sodium. A must try :) - 1/22/09
  • SONYA_J
     WAY too much sodium. - 1/22/09
  • OUTOFIDEAS
     Extremely good recipe idea with steps taken to reduce sodium content, which isn't difficult to do. I also used quinoa rather than barley to make it gluten free. Thanks. - 1/22/09
  • BETTYCAKES
     I think this looks good (with tweaking). I would use low sodium veggie broth and either eliminate the parmesan entirely or just use it as a finish to the dish, thereby reducing the sodium content considerably. - 1/22/09
  • STASH049
     Too much salt, but gives me good recipe for barley which I rarely make! 5 stars for the idea; 1 for too much sodium. - 1/22/09
  • CINNALATTE
     for a 3/4 cup serving..I can't afford that much salt. - 1/22/09
  • IWBTBJUNE
     too much sodium for me. - 1/22/09
  • JOANIE678
     I love barley but definitely would follow the suggestions to reduce the sodium. - 1/22/09
  • TBATTEY
     The sodium in this dish is astronamical - 1/22/09
  • TERMITEMOM
     The fennel is a nice touch, but the salt... - 1/22/09
  • DRAGONHAWK
     you can taste the salt. you would be useing ove half the soduim allowed a day. - 10/16/07



© 2024 SparkPeople, Inc. - Terms - Privacy