My Chicken Lentil Vegetable Soup Recipe

So, last night I did the Cardio DVD from P90X and it was awesome.  My kids did it with me and we had a great time.

About a week ago I promised to post my awesome Chicken Lentil Vegetable soup recipe.  One kid in my daycare can't get enough of this.  Here it is:

CHICKEN LENTIL VEGETABLE SOUP

Ingredients:
8 c. Water
½ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Pepper
3 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Vegetable base
¾ c. Lentils
¾ c. Pearled Barley
1 Tbsp. Coconut or Olive Oil
½ Red Onion, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, chopped
1 Zucchini, chopped
5 Mushrooms, chopped
1 c. Asparagus, chopped
3 Roma Tomatoes, diced
8 oz. frozen Peas & diced Carrots
3 Chicken Breasts, cooked & chopped
½ tsp. Oregano
¼ tsp. Chili Powder
½ tsp. Garlic Salt
¼ tsp. Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

Instructions:
1. Add first 6 ingredients to a large pot and simmer.
2. While simmering, place onion and garlic in a pan with some of the oil until tender (about 3-5 minutes).  Add to the pot.
3. Cook the zucchini, mushrooms, and asparagus in the same pan until tender.  Add to the pot.
4. Add the last ingredients to the pot.
5. Allow to simmer until total simmer time is 45 minutes.  Cover and remove from heat.
6. Serve warm with grated Manchego cheese and fresh squeezed lime juice if desired.

You can also add vegetables and leave some out if you don't like them.  I sometimes add chopped leeks, bell pepper, and cabbage.