Pearl Barley Soup
A cozy, flexible pearl barley soup made with lots of vegetables. Perfect for cleaning out the fridge and easy winter cooking.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small white or yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 carrots, cut into small cubes
- 3 celery stalks, cut into small cubes (leaves included if possible)
- 2 small potatoes, diced
- 1 courgette (zucchini), diced
- 250 g pumpkin or squash, diced
- ½ cup pearl barley, rinsed well
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 liters water or vegetable stock Water with chicken bouillon also works
- A handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion and carrots, season lightly with salt and pepper, and sauté for about 5 minutes until softened.
- Add the celery and cook for 2–3 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the courgette, pumpkin, rinsed pearl barley, cumin, and turmeric. Stir to combine.
- Pour in the water or stock and bring to a gentle boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 40–45 minutes, until the barley is tender but still holds its shape. For softer barley, cook up to 1 hour.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Stir in the parsley during the last few minutes of cooking and serve.
