Weight Watchers Barley With Butternut Squash, Apples and Onions

By cindyandmojo

Ingredients

• 3 ⁄4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 ⁄2 cup uncooked barley
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups butternut squash, peeled & diced
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 ⁄2 cup sweet red pepper, diced
• 1 medium apple, peeled, cored, diced
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 3 ⁄4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 ⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 ⁄3 cup fat-free chicken broth

Details

Servings 1
Preparation time 45mins
Cooking time 45mins
Adapted from food.com

Preparation

Step 1

Bring 3 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to a boil in a medium saucepan; add barley. Cover saucepan and simmer barley until tender, about 30 to 35 minutes; drain.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add squash and cook, stirring often, until it's starting to soften--about five minutes. Add the onion and red pepper and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

Stir in apple, garlic, thyme, black pepper and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring, until apple is almost tender, about 2 minutes; stir in broth, scraping bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Stir in cooked barley; toss over low heat to mix and coat. Remove from heat and serve. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

*To make this vegetarian, use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth.