Barley Soup

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This nutritious and satiating one-pot Barley Soup is loaded up with tons of veggies, a rich seasoned broth, and tender barley. It's incredibly delicious and you'll feel great eating it! Top your bowl with some fresh herbs and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese-- and then grab some crusty bread for dunking!

Course Dinner, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American, Healthy, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword barley soup

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 279kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $10.12

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil, separated
1-1/2 cups finely diced yellow onion ~2 medium onions
1-1/2 cups chopped (1/2-inch) carrots (~3-4 carrots)
1 cup chopped (1/4-inch) celery (~3 stems)
2 cups chopped (1/2-inch) butternut squash
Fine sea salt & pepper
4 teaspoons minced garlic (~4 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon yellow curry powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup pearled barley
Optional: 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 containers (32 oz. EACH) good-quality vegetable broth/stock (we love Swanson) (8 cups total)
2 dry bay leaves
2 cups finely shredded kale
Optional: 1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, fresh thyme or parsley, parmesan cheese, for topping

US - Metric

Instructions

PREP: Thoroughly rinse barley in a mesh sieve or strainer under cool water. Shake off excess water and let stand in strainer to dry until ready to use. Prep veggies: very finely dice onion, peel and cut carrots to 1/2-inch pieces, cut celery to 1/2-inch pieces, and peel and cut squash into 1/2-inch cubes.
VEGGIES: Add 3 tbsp. olive oil to a large cast-iron pot over medium heat. Once the oil is warm, add in onion, carrot, celery, and squash. Season to taste (I add 1 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper). Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and onion is beginning to turn golden, 5-7 minutes.
BARLEY: Add the garlic, curry powder, thyme, rinsed barley, and optional red pepper flakes. Sauté until fragrant, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add in vegetable broth/stock. Season once more (I add another 3/4 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper). Add in bay leaves, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. (The soup should be slightly bubbling, but not rapidly boiling/bubbling.) Simmer, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes or until barley is cooked through and veggies are tender. Add in kale for the last 3 minutes of simmering.
FINISH: Remove the pot from heat. Remove bay leaves and discard. Drizzle in the last tbsp of oil and add lemon juice, if using (we like 2 tbsp). Taste and season with more salt, pepper and/or red pepper flakes. (Depending on the vegetable broth and personal preferences you may need more of both!) Ladle into bowls and enjoy garnished with fresh herbs and freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

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