Sausage, Barley and Vegetable Italian Soup

Tonight's dinner consisted of the best soup I think that I have created in a while.  I'm not just saying so because I brought it to life, but I truly believe that when you taste it for yourself, you will know what I mean :)  It might seem a little boring, but the flavors compliment each other well.  Feel free to add or take away any of the ingredients and make it your own!

INGREDIENTS:

1 large box (32 oz.) beef broth
6 cups water
1/4 cup red wine (I used a little less... Cabernet Sauvignon)
1 onion, sliced thinly into small sections
3/4 cup barley, prepared as directed
3 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Couple shakes of dried basil
Dash of sugar
Salt to taste (Optional... I didn't put any in mine)
1 medium carrot, washed and sliced into thin rounds
1 stalk of celery, washed and sliced thinly
1 package (32 oz.) Regular or Italian sausage

1. First things, first... make sure you give yourself enough time to prepare the barley... the box says it takes anywhere from 40-50 minutes. Mine took about 40 minutes to cook.

2. While the barley was cooking, I whipped up some homemade chocolate muffins... and oh, boy! Were they good or what?! I'll post the recipe as soon as I can type it up :)

3. Next, saute your onions and garlic in the butter on medium heat until tender. Turn burner to medium-high heat and continue to saute for a couple of minutes, adding the sugar and caramelizing 2-3 minutes more, until onions are golden brown on the edges and the aroma is irresistible! :) Remove from heat and set aside. 

4. Next comes the beef broth and water... combine and high simmer. Once the base is at a boil, add your sliced carrots and celery. Continue to boil until tender, then reduce heat.

5. Brown sausage in a medium pan, sprinkling your basil in with the meat.  I chose to remove the onions and cook the meat in the same skillet as them for extra flavor... remove from heat and set aside.

6. Once your vegetables are tender in the beef broth, add barley, sausage and onion mixture to the pot.  Add the red wine (Insert the sip for yourself here...hehe) and bring to a slow boil; cooking for 5 minutes more.

7.  While the soup is on it's last leg of the journey, I took this time to butter some of my homemade bread. (previously made... and you can find the recipe under Whole Wheat and Molasses Bread)   I sprinkled some garlic powder, basil and Parmesan cheese on top and placed in the oven to broil.

I think this soup was incredibly easy, tasty and a great way to end a day of playing out in the (16 inches!!) of snow and building igloos.  hehe..... But seriously, give it a try, and add your own flair! Just remember... cooking is like a canvas... you never know what you can create until you give it a try!!