Ground Turkey and Barley Soup with Mushrooms and Spinach

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. + 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. Spike Seasoning, optional
• 8-12 oz. brown Crimini mushrooms, chopped in medium-sized pieces
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 4 cups mushroom stock
• 1/2 cup pearl barley
• 1 lb. lean ground turkey
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cups chopped spinach, or more
• 2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
• Freshly grated Parmesan for serving, optional

Directions

1. Warm 2 tsp. oil in a sturdy Dutch-oven-style pot. Stir in the diced onion and cook it over high heat until it softens and picks up a little color, about 5 minutes.
2. Lower the heat to medium, then mix in the garlic, thyme, poultry seasoning, and Spike Seasoning, if you’re using it. Let the seasonings cook with the onion for 1-2 minutes, just long enough to wake everything up.
3. As the onion is cooking, rinse the mushrooms and cut them into medium pieces. If you’re using mushroom base, mix it with water as directed on the label so you have 4 cups.
4. Once the onion mixture is ready, put the mushrooms into the pot, then pour in the vegetable stock and mushroom stock, or use additional vegetable stock. Add the barley, lower the heat to medium low, and let the soup bubble gently for about 30 minutes, until the barley is beginning to soften.
5. When the barley is close to tender, warm the remaining 2 tsp. oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add the ground turkey and cook over medium-high heat until well browned, using a turner to crumble it as it cooks. Add salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
6. Transfer the browned turkey into the soup pot and keep simmering for 20-30 minutes more, until the barley is fully cooked. If the soup gets too thick, splash in a cup or two of water.
7. Rinse the spinach and chop it. When the barley is tender, stir the spinach into the soup and cook until the greens have wilted, about 10 minutes.
8. Add the fresh lemon juice, then ladle the soup up hot. Offer freshly grated Parmesan cheese at the table if you’d like.