Pearl Barley Soup
Total Time
55 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Rating
5 out of 5 stars
(25)
Ingredients
4 servings
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion (, finely diced)
- 2 small or 1 large carrot (~200g/7oz), peeled, chopped into 1cm / 0.4" cubes)
- 2 celery stems (, chopped into 1cm / 0.4" cubes)
- 2 small or 1 medium swede (US: rutabaga), peeled, chopped into 1cm / 0.4" cubes (~200g, Note 1)
- 150g / 5 oz white mushrooms (, cut in 4 (larger ones cut into 6 or 8)
- 2 garlic cloves (, finely minced)
- 1/2 tsp fresh thyme (, chopped (or 1/4 tsp dried)
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp ground fennel
- 2 fresh bay leaves (or 1 dried)
- 1 3/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup pearl barley (, NOT hulled barley (Note 2)
- 1.75 litres / quarts vegetable stock
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves
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Preparation
Step 1
Rinse barley in a colander with cold tap water. Leave to drain for several minutes.
Step 2
Sauté veg 5 minutes: Heat olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, swede, mushrooms and garlic (yes, all at once!). Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
Step 3
Sauté herbs/spices: Add thyme, coriander, fennel, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute.
Step 4
Simmer 35 minutes: Add pearl barley and vegetable stock. Stir, bring to a boil and simmer for 35 minutes until barley is cooked. It will have a nice chew to it but should not have a hard centre like uncooked rice.
Step 5
Stir in parsley: Stir in parsley leaves. Ladle into bowls and serve!
Step 6
Storing leftovers:
Step 7
Strain soup (or use slotted spoon), store vegetables/barley separate from soup broth. Otherwise the barley will soak up all the liquid!
Step 8
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