Barley Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion (I use red, but white or yellow will do just fine), coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup pearl barley
6 cups good-quality vegetable stock
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried (thyme is a good anti-microbial)
1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 cup sweet potato, peeled, and diced
3 cups seasonal greens, chopped (I like kale, but turnip greens, Swiss chard, broccoli rabe, mustard greens, or spinach will work beautifully)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice per serving
Cayenne pepper, to taste (optional, but it’s very soothing for scratchy throats)
Fresh herbs for garnish, optional

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot and add onion. Saute, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, for 1 or 2 minutes, until garlic is fragrant and golden but not browned. Add pearl barley, stirring to coat with oil, and cook for 2 minutes.

2. Add stock, thyme, and rosemary. Increase heat to bring soup to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and cook 1 hour, until barley is barely tender. Add carrot and sweet potato, and continue cooking 20 to 30 minutes, until vegetables have softened. Add greens and cook until wilted and tender, about 5 to 10 more minutes. Use a potato masher to gently crush the potatoes. Add salt and pepper to your taste.

3. Ladle soup into bowls, adding lemon juice and cayenne pepper (if desired) to each serving, and top with fresh herbs if you like.

Serves 6 to 8.

By Cait Johnson, author of Witch in the Kitchen (Inner Traditions, 2001).

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Charmaine C.14 hours ago
I think the photo is a different soup Denise :) I see tomato, spring onions and a blob of sour cream or yoghurt. I imagine you could add anything you wanted to this lovely soup.

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Charmaine C.14 hours ago
We love soup too. Fortunately it's so cold here in Scotland you can easily eat soup all summer too. It's very interesting information about the health benefits of barley. Thank you for the recipe.

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kathy bonard18 hours ago
Yummy,love soups.My nan and mum always used pearl barley.I will from now on,thanks.

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Catherine H.19 hours ago
Can't wait to purchase the ingredients that I don't already have cook up this soup and put into the freezer until a mopey, summer-time 'sniffle's day! Excited ... with THANKS!

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Nina S.yesterday
tyfs

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Val M.3 years ago
Thanks

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Loo sam3 years ago
thanks

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Mary L.3 years ago
Greart for this time in the winter with the sun a too infrequent visitor.

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Natalie S.3 years ago
Sounds tasty, thanks!

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Denise Morley3 years ago
Also.. Is that sour cream in the picture? It's not mentioned in the recipe.