Pearl Barley Soup

Name: Pearl Barley Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 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

8 steps

Prep:10minCook:45min

This is a recipe for a Pearl Barley Soup filled with lots of vegetables that's clean, nutritious and (yet!) oh-so-tasty. The chewy, nutty barley makes it so much more interesting than using just pasta or rice. A great soup recipe to make your own - follow my cook method and broth flavourings. Then mix and match the vegetables to suit your cravings - or fridge contents!

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 09:05:24 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Good

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

Moderate

Nutrition per serving

Calories326.8 kcal (16%)

Total Fat8.6 g (12%)

Carbs56.8 g (22%)

Sugars9 g (10%)

Protein9.1 g (18%)

Sodium2371.6 mg (119%)

Fiber11.9 g (42%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

4 servings

2 Tbspextra virgin olive oil

1onion

finely diced

200gcarrot

small, peeled, chopped into 1cm / 0.4" cubes

2celery stems

chopped into 1cm / 0.4" cubes

200gswede

small, US, rutabaga, peeled, chopped into 1cm / 0.4" cubes

150gwhite mushrooms

cut in 4, larger ones cut into 6 or 8

2garlic cloves

finely minced

½ tspfresh thyme

chopped, or 1/4 tsp dried

¼ tspground coriander

¼ tspground fennel

2fresh bay leaves

or 1 dried

1 ¾ tspcooking salt

½ tspblack pepper

1 cuppearl barley

NOT hulled barley

1.75 litresvegetable stock

1 cupfresh parsley leaves

Instructions

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!

Notes

Step 6

1. Swedes – Called rutabaga in the US, they are a vegetable that is kind of like a turnip but are softer, sweeter, and have a more earthy flavour. Peels easily like a carrot using a standard peeler, and has a texture like potato when raw. Substitute with turnip, parsnip, celeriac or potato.

Step 7

2. Pearl barley – A tasty whole grain with a nutty flavour and chewy texture, it makes the soup so much more interesting than just making it with rice or pasta. Find it in the soup aisle at the grocery store, alongside dried beans usually. Not to be confused with HULLED barley which is browner. Hulled barley has just the hull removed. Pearly barley also has some or all of the bran removed. It’s whiter, cooks faster, and is less chewy. Pearl barley is what we are using today