When was the last time you ate barley? Farm animals likely filled up on barley grain this Thanksgiving. We humans are more likely to have enjoyed the malted version in beer or whiskey.
Whole grain barley is highly nutritious. It's high in soluble fiber and antioxidants, good for heart health and blood sugar regulation. Pearled barley has most of the outer bran removed. Hulled barley preserves the nutrient rich outer layer.
Farmers can grow the hulless variety, making it easier to harvest. Barley has a short growing season and thrives in less than desirable conditions, in poor soil or drought.conditions.
Black barley, originally from
Ethiopia, is now grown in the United States and provides a brilliant
glossy contrast to the vegetables and seafood found in this Black Bean Bouillabaisse.
Here's barley in laminated biscuits, made with half whole grain barley flour and half all purpose flour.
I am enjoying barley in this after Thanksgiving soup:
Turkey Barley Soup
(5 servings)
Saute onion, carrots and celery in olive oil for 5 minutes.
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 teaspoon olive oil
Add garlic and mushrooms, stirring and cooking for 1 minute.
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
Add tomato paste. Cook and stir another minute.
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Add turkey stock, diced turkey, cooked barley and spinach. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for another ten minutes.
2 cups turkey stock*
1 cup roasted turkey, diced
1/4 cup (dry measure) barley, cooked
1 cup spinach, sliced
*My stock was made with raw turkey drumsticks (skin removed), 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 2 tablespoons Shaoxing cooking wine. For spices, I added 1 cinnamon stick, 1 anise star and a small spice basket of licorice powder and cardamon. I strained the mixture and refrigerated, then discarded the fatty layer prior to making the soup. Because some of the powdered spices fell to the bottom of the broth, I strained the broth prior to soup cooking.
