Meatball Barley Soup

I meant to make the same Meatball Barley Soup I made last week. The one my husband called the "best soup I ever made". I agreed with him. It was luscious and satisfying, giving the same emotional response as a decadent dessert. However, tonight I thinly sliced the carrot with a fancy gadget from Salad Master instead of cutting chunks with a knife. Did you know that makes a HUGE difference for the taste of a dish?

As a chemist, I could tell you the theory of the surface area affect of accelerating a reaction. Or, in the case, accelerating the diffusion of carrot essence throughout a soup.Suffice it to say I threw away the leftovers (which almost never happens, given my frugal New England roots) and wrote a note in the cookbook to have big chunks of carrots.

Meatball Barley Soup
1/2 pound cooked meatballs
2 tsp oil
2 large leeks, cleaned and chopped (white and light green parts, only)
1 carrot, chopped (not shredded or thinly sliced)
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper
5 oz sliced mushrooms
29 oz reduced-sodium beef broth
1/4 c tomato paste
1/3 c quick-cooking barley

Defrost prepared meatballs. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, carrots, garlic, and spices. Cook, stirring often,until the vegetables are tender. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking and stirring for 4 minutes. Stir in the broth and tomato paste. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes, then add the barley. Simmer the soup for an additional 10 minutes, then add the meatballs. Cook, covered, until the soup is heated through (approximately 5 minutes).

This serves 4 people (or 2 people twice, as we did). The leftover soup is fantastic, too.