Ham and Barley Soup

And what, pray tell, have we subsisted on over the past month? Leftovers and fast food. [:)] So yeah, not much in the original cooking department here. But now that it's after Christmas, I get to come up with new and excitiing recipes. This one is a variation on something I found online.


Ham and Barley Soup


1 ham bone (preferably with quite a bit of meat on it)

1 1/2 cups hulled barley

1 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon dried garlic (or 2 cloves fresh)

1 bay leaf


Start boiling the ham bone on high heat in an 8 quart pot with the bay leaf. Saute the onion (and fresh garlic, if using) in a pan till the onion becomes translucent and fragrant. Add to the pot. (Add the dried garlic at this stage, if using.) Add the barley and continue to boil over medium heat until the meat falls off the ham bone, about 1 1/2 hours. Get rid of the bone, take out and chop up the meat, put it back in the pot, and serve. Serves four.