Tonight was the first time I felt a smidgen of coldness in the air since fall.  I know some of you living in colder parts of the country are rolling your eyes.  How cold can it be in southern California?  According to Google weather, the temperature was in the high 40s, which is pretty chilly by my standard.  Chilly enough to look through the stews and soups section of my recipe collection.

This stew is rustic (i.e. less chopping!) and hearty.  It’s packed with lots of good-for-you ingredients that are super delicious.  The chewy pearl barley thicken the soup. The leeks and tomatoes are sweet.  The kale and rosemary add a slightly bitter and woodsy bite.

The great part about this stew is that you can substitute most of the ingredients with what you have on hand. Instead of leeks you can use onions.  Instead of washing and prepping the kale, you can use packaged baby spinach to save time.  You can also use fire-roasted tomatoes for a smoky taste.

You can serve this stew as a first course.  I like to serve it as a main dish with a hunk of crusty bread.  Bowl in one hand, bread in the other, curl up by the fire and turn on the Food Network.  Okay, maybe the last two are optional.

Barley Stew with Leeks, Mushrooms and Greens

Adapted from Bon Appetit, December 2009

• Olive oil, 1 tablespoon
• Leeks, chopped, white and light green parts of 2 small stalks
• Crimini mushrooms, sliced, 8 ounces
• Garlic, minced, 2 cloves
• Fresh rosemary, minced, 2 1/4 teaspoons
• Diced tomatoes, 1 14.5-ounce can
• Pearl barley, 1 cup
• Vegetable broth, 5 cups
• Kale, trimmed, center stalks removed, coarsely chopped, 1 bunch

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add leeks, sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté until leeks begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add mushrooms, garlic and rosemary.  Increase heat and cook until mushrooms begin to soften, about 7 minutes.

Add tomatoes with juice, barley and broth; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until barley is almost tender, about 30 minutes.  Add kale and stir until wilted.  Cover and simmer until kale and barley are tender, adding some water or broth as needed for desired stew consistency, about 15 minutes.

Serves 6.