Mushroom Barley Soup

For Christmas the Cute Boy surprised me by giving me an immersion blender. In all reality, I think this gift was as much for him as for me, since I always make him blend things in the blender when a recipe calls for it. I tried it out last Sunday while making one of my favorite soups and it was a breeze to use!

Here is my favorite mushroom barley soup. I'm trying to be on a health kick and this soup is super hearty and by using the blender, it thickens it up quite a bit. No cream required!

Mushroom Barley Soup
Adapted from Weight Watchers.
Serves 8  (1 1/2 cup per serving)
3 WW points per serving

Ingredients
2 TBSP olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1/2 cup of white wine
9 cups of a low sodium beef, chicken,or veggie broth
1/3 cup uncooked  pearl barley
20 oz of chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/8 tsp black pepper

Instructions:
*Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven.
*Add onions, carrots, and celery. Saute until wilted about 5 minutes.
*Add wine and simmer until liquid is reduced by 1/4.
*Add broth; bring to a steady simmer. Add barley; cover and cook for 45 min.
*Add mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes.
*Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the vegetables and barley and 1/2 cup of the liquid to a blender/food processor; puree.
* Return the mixture to the saucepan. Add parsley and pepper; stir and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer, covered until the mushrooms are cooked, about 15 min.