Healthy dinner tonight: Vegetable Barley Soup with Poached Egg

This is a very healthy recipe made from vegetables and eggs. The vegetables used add more fiber to the soup. One serving of the soup supplies about 300 calories, so it is quite satiating. It is also quite nourishing. The shitake mushrooms used are packed with vitamins and minerals; they are also abundant in selenium, zinc, and niacin. The poached egg increases protein content of the meal. The soup provides about 10 grams of protein and fiber.

Complexity level: Easy

Time taken: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Shiitake mushrooms (1 pound)

Baby spinach (1 bunch, medium sized)

Barley (1.5 cups)

Onion (2, medium sized)

Tomatoes (4, medium sized)

Garlic (4 cloves)

Olive oil (4 tablespoons)

Thyme (2 teaspoons)

Vegetable stock or broth (2 qts)

White vinegar (optional)

Eggs (optional)

Process

Chop the onion and garlic cloves finely. Add oil to a skillet or saucepan and reduce the heat to medium. Throw in the chopped onion and garlic. Cook them till they soften and turn brown, this will take about 10 minutes. While the onions soften, you can dice the other vegetables. Cut the stem of the mushrooms and slash the caps into thin slices. You can also roast the tomatoes and keep them ready. Just rub them with olive oil and garlic, and then pop in the oven.

When the onions have browned, add in the mushrooms and thyme. It will take about 5 minutes for the mushrooms to cook through, keep stirring the mix in the meantime. After the mushrooms have cooked, add in the barley, vegetable stock, and tomatoes. Then you need to sprinkle some salt and pepper into the broth. Allow it to simmer and stir a few times. It should be cooked until the barley is well done, this can take around 12 minutes. Now add in the spinach and some seasoning if required. Cook for another minute or two and turn off the heat.

Now you have to prepare the eggs for the soup. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 1 quart of water and bubble the concoction. Throw in salt and break an egg in a cup or plate. Very gently, slide it into the simmering water. Add only one egg at a time. Make sure that there is enough space in between the eggs when they are floating on the simmering water. Steam the eggs till their white turns solid and the yolks remain slightly runny. This should take about 2-3 minutes. Now carefully, lift the eggs with a pair of tongs or a wooden ladle. Sit them in a plate or bowl and then, dole out the soup in a bowl. Top it with the poached eggs and serve hot.

Tips

The soup is quite filling and weight watchers will love it for supper, surely your appetite for dinner will reduce after you eat the soup.

If you are a vegetarian or looking to cut down on cholesterol intake then whip up the soup without the eggs.

Combine the soup with white wines, which are intense and fruity.

About the author: Alia Haley is a blogger and writer. She loves writing on luxury and health. Beside this she is fond of automobiles. These days she is busy in writing an article on apple recipes.