Vegetarian Pearl Barley Soup – I know it isn’t quite winter yet but this morning it sure felt like it. This soup is perfect for colder days. Most soups are right? A hug in a bowl is basically how I would describe it.
A big bowl of steaming hot soup filled with your favourite vegetables and grains screams cosy. Eat it with crusty bread with a little butter and bob’s your uncle..Is he? Sorry. Check out this meat version that I made for the blog a couple of years ago.
I am still obsessing over ways of getting veg into my kids bodies and this soup is one of the ways I tried. It is such a delicious and warming way to make sure you are reaching your daily vegetable quota. One of my favorite soup recipes is haleem. This is nothing like it to be fair but it is just as filing and wholesome. Did the kids like it? I will be completely honest. My daughter did but it wasn’t my sons thing. He is such a fussy eater!! I can’t begin to tell you how fussy he is about food. AAAH nvm.
The recipe is incredibly simple and extremely healthy. It contains lots of fiber from the lentils and barley, antioxidants from the tomatoes and garlic, as well as vitamins and minerals from the other vegetables. As the pearl barley simmers with the vegetables, it thickens the broth and gives it a creamy texture which i just love. Also it is a pretty substantial soup. It will really fill you up. I imagine myself being able to take on the world after I have finished eating the soup. That has never happened though. I just pass out instead. Not really.
This is a soup that freezes well, and you can reheat it in the microwave or gently in a pot on the stove. It is great for food prep too because you can make a large quantity, refrigerate leftovers and enjoy over the course of a few days, or you could freeze individual portions to take into work to heat up for a workday lunch.
Btw the other reason I love pearl barley soup? Pearl barley is ridiculously inexpensive. Check it out here.
Vegetarian Pearl Barley Soup
Vegetarian Pearl Barley Soup - I know it isn't quite winter yet but this morning it sure felt like it. This soup is perfect for colder days. Most soups are right? A hug in a bowl is basically how I would describe it.
Ingredients
- 120 g Pearl Barley
- 1 litre Vegetable Stock
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 Onion diced
- 2 Potato peeled and diced
- 1 Leek sliced finely
- 2 Carrots peeled and diced
- 4 cloves Garlic crushed
- 2 sprig Thyme Leaves
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 50 g Puy Lentils Optional
- Salt and Pepper
- Creme Fraiche
Instructions
-
Put half the stock in a pot over medium/high heat with the pearl barley and bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer for 15 minutes.
-
Heat the oil and butter in a pot over medium heat and add the onions and potatoes and a a little water. Cook the onions for 5 - 7minutes and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
-
Add the remaining stock and all the other vegetables and garlic, thyme and bay leaves to the pot . Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes until veg is tender.
-
Add the puy lentils and boil for a further 5 minutes. Season and add divide between bowls. Top with a dollop of creme fraiche. 🙂
Leave a Reply