30 Minute Italian Sausage and Barley Soup (and Menu Plan 2.27.17)

This has been a rather un-fun week around here. My son is on the tail end of a lovely case of bronchitis and I was gifted with some sort of sinus infection. Bleh. So! Since everyday life was rather boring this week (other than another fun bout of snow today - but I think I've exhausted the snow pictures here) I figured I would share a recipe I threw together recently that turned out RULL GOOD. 
I have tried a few sausage and barley soup recipes over the last couple of months, but none were quite what I wanted - one without mushrooms, but with tomatoes, and using quick cooking barley. So I made my own!

30 Minute Italian Sausage and Barley Soup
Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound Italian Turkey Sausage
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• half a red bell pepper, or roasted red pepper, diced
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
• 4oz fresh spinach leaves
• 32 oz box of chicken stock
• 1/3 cup quick cook pearl barley (Trader Joes makes a great one, but I've seen a Quaker version at my local Safeway)
• salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot, preferably cast iron, over medium heat and add sausage. Break up sausage until browned, add diced onion, carrot and bell pepper and saute until soft - about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper and cook for one minute. Add tomatoes and chicken stock to the pot, turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add quick cook barley and reduce to a simmer. Cook according to package directions (usually 10-15 minutes). Stir in spinach leaves once barley has cooked and serve with a sprinkling of fresh Parmesan cheese!

This week:

• Monday - Pizza
• Tuesday - Coconut Curry Turkey and Quinoa Meatballs (trying this recipe from The Harvest Kitchen)
• Wednesday - Baked Ziti (pulling leftovers of The Flour Sack recipe from the freezer)
• Thursday - White Bean Soup (a favorite from Shutterbean)
• Friday - Tequila Lime Sheet Pan Nachos (loving this recipe from The Cookie Rookie)
• Saturday - Korean Short Ribs in the Crock Pot with Roasted Broccoli and Mashed Potatoes (easy and tasty recipe from Food.com)
• Sunday - Chicken BLT Chopped Salad with Fresh Lemon Garlic Dressing

As always, I'm linking up with Org Junkie, and now Beth Fish Reads weekend cooking - be sure to check out all the great weekly food inspiration!