Hearty Sausage and Barley Soup

It is a soup kind of day, here in Utah! Up until the past few days, our winter has been super mild here this year. My front yard tulips have started to poke out of the ground, I packed away the winter boots and actually wore flip-flops a couple of times during February. I know, crazy. Wiiiiiiiild, wild times. I have been living on the rebel edge, truly. 🙂 However, it appears the joke is on me. Now that March has come to be, the snow is piling up with a vengeance, my boots will have to be retrieved, and I am craving soup. Snowfall and soup go together hand in hand, wouldn’t you agree?

I came by this great Hearty Sausage and Barley Soup recipe through my sweet friend Julie Thomson. She has passed many recipes my way, that I have shared with you. This blog could be called Julie Cooks Cool Recipes and Jamie Shares Them Up. Truly. She is a great friend to me.  My family enjoyed this particular soup a lot. It’s full of hearty vegetables, and the sausage and barley pair so nicely together. Perfect for a winter day, which is what we have on our hands here in Utah.

Tulips, beware.

Let’s make some soup!

 

Mile High Butterflake Biscuits or Fabulous French Bread
Sarahs Salad or Pink Dressing Salad

Hearty Sausage and Barley Soup
PRINT RECIPE

Time: 20 min. prep + 1-2 hours simmering
Yield: 8 servings
Recipe adapted from Julie Thomson

***Note: Don’t feel overwhelmed with this long list of ingredients. Once you have browned the sausage you just dump everything in all at once and let the old girl simmer. Pretty easy. 🙂 ***

1 (16 ounce) package sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper
2 Tb green pepper, minced
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 Tb fresh parsley, chopped
2 (14.5 ounce) diced stewed tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
8 C water
1 1/2 tsp bon appetit seasoning salt (***Note: Since posting this recipe, Bon Appetit has been discontinued. However you can make your own with instructions at this link.)
2 bay leaves
2 Tb Worcestershire sauce
1 Tb salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp beef bouillon
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 Tb sugar
1/2 C pearled barley (most often found on same aisle as rice, or in the bulk food section).

1. Chop one onion, mince a clove of garlic and toss them into a large soup pot. Add 1 pound pork sausage and brown over medium high heat.

You want the sausage to be cooked through and the onions to be translucent.

2. While your sausage cooks away, mince 2 Tb green pepper and chop 4 stalks celery, 2 russet (or yukon gold) potatoes and 3 carrots.

You also need 2 Tb chopped fresh parsley. Pretty! 🙂 Add all of the vegetables to the soup pot.

3. Pour in 2 cans of diced tomatoes (undrained), 1 can tomato sauce and 8 C hot water.

4. Add 1 1/2 tsp bon appetit seasoning salt, 2 bay leaves,  2 Tb Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tb salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1 tsp beef bouillon, 1 tsp smoked paprika and 1 Tb sugar. Give it a nice stir to combine.

5. Add 1/2 C pearled barley. I found some in the bulk food section at my local Smiths (Kroger). I’ve also seen it at Walmart alongside the rice.

6. Bring the pot to a simmer.

Cover the pot with the lid tilted at an angle to allow some of the steam to escape. Simmer for 1-2 hours (stirring occasionally), or until the barley is cooked and soft.

Serve and enjoy!