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Crowd and freezer friendly using barley for a twist on an old favorite
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Mains & Sides
Servings: 6 1 1/4 cup servings

Equipment

  • Can opener
  • Colander
  • Cutting board
  • Large pot with lid
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Medium pot with lid
  • Mixing spoon
  • Sharp knife

Ingredients

  • 1 cup instant pearl barley
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 whole bay leaves
  • 3 medium onions
  • 2 medium celery stalks
  • 1 medium green red, yellow, or orange bell pepper
  • 2 medium cloves garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon canola oil
  • 4 ounces ground turkey
  • 2 14½-ounce cans diced tomatoes, no salt added
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  • In a colander, rinse barley under cold water.
  • In a medium pot over high heat, bring barley, water, and bay leaves to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook barley until tender and water is absorbed, about 20–30 minutes.
  • In a colander, drain barley. Set aside.
  • Peel, rinse, and dice onions. Rinse and dice celery and pepper. Peel and mince garlic.
  • In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat oil.
  • Add onions, celery, pepper, and garlic to pot. Mix well. Cook until veggies are soft, about 5 minutes.
  • Add ground turkey. Cook until turkey is cooked through, about 5 minutes more.
  • Add tomatoes and their juices. Bring to a simmer.
  • Add spices. Stir to combine. Cover and reduce heat. Cook at a low simmer for 15 minutes.
  • 10. Add cooked barley to the mixture. Stir to combine. Add more water or broth, if needed. Cook over low heat to blend flavors, about 5–10 minutes more.
  • 11. Remove bay leaves and serve.

Notes

  • To save time, cook barley up to 2 days in advance. Refrigerate until ready to use. Add to pot in step 10.
  • If instant barley is not available, use regular pearl barley. Cook following package instructions, about 45 minutes.
  • When doubling this recipe, do not double cayenne pepper unless you prefer a very spicy dish.
  • Use turkey sausage or soy sausage instead of ground turkey, if desired.
  • For a vegetarian option, use cooked or canned pinto or black beans, rinsed and drained, in place of meat.
  • Use brown rice instead of barley, if you like. Cook rice following package instructions. Add cooked rice in place of barley in step 10.