• 2 Carrots, diced
• 1 Zucchini, diced
• 1 package Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 4 cups Chicken broth
• 1 cup barley
• 3 tablespoons butter

1. Heat 2 spoons butter + olive oil, fry onions until soft. Add salt, pepper and soy sauce.
2. Add 2 cups chicken broth and barley, stir and cook a few minutes.
3. Add remaining broth, bring to simmer, cook barley, covered, for 20 minutes

4. Add vegetables (except tomatoes) and cook additional 10 minutes, uncovered.

5. Add tomatoes and cook another 10 minutes, or until broth evaporates and barley is tender (but chewy). Stir in remaining spoon of butter and add more salt and pepper to taste.



For added protein, I microwaved some turkey meatballs from Trader Joe's, and added them to individual servings of risotto... or soup?

See, I think I wound up adding too much liquid, because between the broth and the vegetables, it ended up being more of a soup than risotto. There wasn't THAT much liquid leftover, so it was only slightly "soupy", but it was delicious that way, too! The barley has an interesting, nutty flavor-- a little remniscent of oats, but with the consistency of brown rice, with some added chewiness. Delicious!

Total cost?
Half a bag of barley = 75 cents
Zucchini = 50 cents
Pack of mushrooms = 99 cents
Onion and carrot = 25 cents
Tomato = $1
Meatballs = $1

Grand total = $4.49 for all 3 of us.