Barley Vegetable Soup
It’s pretty hard to screw up soup. Really you just throw everything in a pot in random quantities and add enough liquid to make it a soup instead of a porridge or something. So, this (and most soup recipes) are just suggestions for amounts, but feel free to add and subtract to your heart’s content. Don’t like green beans? Add more peas. Don’t have peas? Add more corn. And so on and so forth.
Oh, and garlic is always measured by your heart.
Ingredients:
1 onion (yellow, white, sweet)
2 cloves garlic (or more)
2 tbsp olive oil or other neutral cooking oil (like grapeseed)
4 large carrots, diced
1 28oz can diced tomatoes (seasoned or not, doesn’t matter, but seasoning will change final flavor)
1-2 cups pearled barley, uncooked (cooked: 3-4 cups)
½-1 tsp dried basil
½-1 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cups vegetable broth (add more if you add more veggies)
2 russet potatoes (or just boiling potatoes in general)
1 cup green beans, chopped (fresh or frozen)
½-1 cup frozen peas
½-1 cup frozen corn
Optional: 1 small can tomato paste (if you like a richer tomato flavored broth)
Instructions:
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat add the oil and sauté the onions until they just start to soften, then add carrots and cook for about 3 minutes.
- Add garlic and sauté about a minute until fragrant, then add the broth and bring to a simmer.
- Add barley (if uncooked, this will require 30-40 minutes cook time) , canned tomatoes (and optional tomato paste), and spices.
- Note: You can cook the barley ahead of time and freeze it until you’re ready to use it. This can cut down on cooking time on the day of.
- If you’re using precooked barley, add the potatoes as well, if not wait until the barley is mostly tender (about 30 minutes) before adding the diced potatoes and cooking an additional 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Once potatoes are tender, add the frozen peas, corn, and green beans. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer and cook for an additional five minutes, or until the frozen veggies are cooked.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your liking. Serve hot!
Notes: Barley is a great grain with a wonderful nutty flavor, rich in fiber, proteins and other nutrients when compared to other commonly used grains such as white rice. It is higher in carbohydrates and calories when compared to rice as well, making it a great meal after an active day.
-Barley, unlike rice however, does not contain gluten and is not appropriate for those with a sensitivity or celiac disease.