Mish's Meatball and Barley Soup

Tonight was the last night of our Winter Ladies' Bible study, and we had a soup and salad dinner together. That sounded especially cozy last week when we planned it and it was 27 degrees outside! Today it was 80 degrees, and I had the windows open with a lovely soft breeze blowing through the house and keeping the kitchen cool as I cooked up a couple batches of soup, one for the family and one for the ladies.

I always like a savory soup, more like a stoup, as Rachael Ray would say, hearty and starchy. I decided to go for a meatball soup, checked around for a few recipes, and then created a hybrid of my favorite flavors. This turned out to be a lovely recipe that cooks up quick, and my friends seemed to agree. I wrote out the recipe this evening before forgetting what went into it, and I thought I'd share it with you, too.

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Mish's Meatball and Barley Soup

Created by Michele Chisholm
March 10, 2009

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 pound pancetta, diced

1 medium white onion, chopped

1/2 cup of chopped celery

Worcester sauce, two or three dashes or to taste

2 large potatoes chopped to about 1-inch pieces

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained

1 box (32 ounces) beef broth

4 cups water

Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Nutmeg (fresh or shake from the tin), to taste

3/4 cup barley

One bag of prepared meatballs (original flavor, around 32 small meatballs)
OR 1 batch of homemade small meatballs (your own recipe)

** Serve with garnish of Parmigiano-Reggiano

In a large, heavy stockpot, heat olive oil. Saute garlic, pancetta, onion, and celery until translucent. Stir in Worcester sauce. Add potatoes, toss around, and let cook for a minute or so. Add in drained beans, beef broth, water, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Add the barley and meatballs and continue to boil for 3 minutes. Turn heat down and simmer for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!