ushrooms, barley, carrots and garlic are excellent cholesterol-lowering foods. Barley contains soluble fiber, which is the same kind of cholesterol-lowering fiber found in oats. The porcini and shitake mushrooms give this old-fashioned comfort food an extra-rich flavor. Barley absorbs a lot of liquid, so you will need to add extra broth or water to the soup if you reheat it.

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce Melissa's dried porcini mushrooms
• 3 cups very hot water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Napa Valley organic olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, roughly chopped
• 3 carrots, sliced about 1/4-inch thick
• 2 cloves Melissa's organic garlic, crushed
• 1 cup Springfield pearl barley
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups Swanson organic natural goodness chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons Yamasa less salt soy sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon Le Saunier de Camargue fleur de sel sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:


1. Soak the dried mushrooms in the very hot water while preparing other ingredients for cooking.

2. Heat oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Sauté onions, shitake mushrooms and carrots until the onions begin to get clear, about ten minutes. Add the garlic and barley and cook, stirring until barley begins to brown, about two minutes.

3. While the vegetables are cooking, lift the porcini mushrooms out of the soaking water, reserving the liquid. Pick over the mushrooms, removing any hard bits. Coarsely chop the mushrooms and add them to the soup pot. Sauté about one minute. Add the soaking water, bay leaves, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook about 30-40 minutes until the barley is plump and tender and the broth is thickened. Add the soy sauce, salt and pepper. Mix well, remove bay leaves and serve.