Barley & Asparagus

I'm trying to use different grains in our house, so I definitely wanted to try out this barley and asparagus side dish. We had this dish with some italian turkey sausage and fresh pear sliced up.

Barley & Asparagus
Adapted by: http://progresso.com/Recipes/Eat-Well/barley-and-asparagus/ab42fe8d-7df7-439d-83b8-c6a61c1946bd

Ingredients
-3 1/2 cups Progresso® chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
-1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
-1 medium carrot, chopped (1/2 cup)
-1 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley
-8 oz asparagus (8 to 10 stalks), cut into 1-inch pieces
-2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
-1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram or thyme leaves
-1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions
-In a saucepan, add chicken broth and heat over medium heat.
-In a large saute pan, add oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrot and saute for a few minutes.
-Add barley to the saute pan and cook 1 additional minute, stirring frequently.
-Pour 1 cup of hot broth into the saute pan. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, or until most liquid is absorbed.
-Stir in asparagus and cook for 15 to 20 additional minutes, adding 1 cup of broth at a time and stirring often, until barley is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat.
-Add cheese, thyme, and pepper. Stir well
-Serve warm

Enjoy! :)