Roasted Tomato & Garlic Soup with Barley

This soup will make your house smell HEAVENLY while the veggies are roasting.

Roasted Tomato & Garlic Soup with Barley

1 (14 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped very fine
3 cloves garlic, minced (or 3 tsp. minced jarred garlic... I would NOT recommend garlic powder)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth to make this vegan)
1/4 cup pearled barley (not quick-cooking barley)

Preheat the oven to 425.  Drain the tomatoes, reserving the juice (squeeze the tomatoes a little to get a lot of the juice out... you want them to be a little dry going into the oven).  Combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and olive oil in an 8x8 baking dish.  Bake uncovered at 425 for about 35-45 minutes, until the onion is soft.

In a pot, combine the vegetables, the chicken broth, and the reserved tomato juice and bring to a boil. Add the barley and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 30-35 minutes until the barley is cooked through.

Makes 2 main-dish servings or 4 appetizer-sized servings.