Ingredients

(Preparation 15 minutes, cooking time 95 minutes)

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced onion
8 ounces spicy turkey Italian sausage
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sliced carrot
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
5 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 1/2 pound mushrooms)
1 1/2 cups chopped portobello mushrooms
1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
Three 15.75-ounce cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons brandy
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes or until slightly soft. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan; cook 8 minutes or until sausage is browned, stirring to crumble. Add celery, carrot, garlic and bay leaf; cook 10 minutes or until onions are golden brown, stirring frequently. Stir in the mushrooms; cook 10 minutes or so until mushrooms release moisture.

Stir in barley, chicken broth, brandy, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until barley is tender. Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition information per 1-cup serving: 215 cal., 7.2 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 13.3 g pro., 23.4 g carbo., 4.7 g fiber, 27 mg chol., 527 mg sodium.