Hearty Cold Weather Soup!

Here we go with yet another cold week and to me that is a MUST for soup!  You will love this one, it’s spicy, low-fat and filled with good-for-you ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup medium pearl barley
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
• 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
• 1 jar (16 ounces) picante sauce
• 1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 8 cups chopped fresh spinach

Directions

• In a Dutch oven, saute onion and barley in oil until onion is tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the broth, chicken and lentils; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until chicken is no longer pink, 15 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
• Add the picante sauce, garbanzo beans and cilantro to soup; cover and simmer until barley and lentils are tender, 10 minutes longer.
• Shred chicken with two forks. Add spinach and chicken to soup. Simmer, uncovered, until spinach is wilted, 5 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 156 calories, 3g fat (0 saturated fat), 9mg cholesterol, 601mg sodium, 21g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 7g fiber), 11g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 lean meat, 1 vegetable, 1/2 fat.