Healthy Chicken Vegetable Barley Soup

I had a ton of leftover chicken (roasted two whole birds at once) from doing a "mock" Thanksgiving dinner the other night. So, I needed to get back on the healthy side of things and made this soup.

I simmered the barley and chopped, dried shitake mushrooms in chicken stock for a bit over an hour. Then added the chicken, some poultry seasoning and thyme. Simmered for about 15 minutes more and then added some frozen mixed veggies. Simmered about 5 minutes more.

A very hearty and healthy soup for a cold winter day!

Tomato-Lentil Soup

With the fall chill in the air, I thought this would be a heart warming soup. I always like recipes with few ingredients and this fits the bill. I used a "fire roasted" type of tomatoes that gave depth and dimension to the dish. It turned out delicious, vegan and very nutritious.