Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Vegetable Barley Soup


I know it's still a little hot outside for soup recipes, but this was too good to pass up.  I'm one of those irrational people that can have soup any time of year - especially when it's chock full of vegetables like this!



The flavor is definitely different, with all of the different herbs involved - but it's definitely a "good" kind of different!

Ingredients:
Adapted from a Bon Appetit recipe

 
4 cups water
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for drizzling
1 large onion, chopped 
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
5 cups kale, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup chopped fresh fennel fronds
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
juice from 1 lemon
feta cheese crumbles, optional

Bring 4 cups water, 2 cups vegetable broth, barley, and 1 teaspoon sea salt to boil in large pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until barley is tender, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, chopped carrot, and mushrooms to pan.  Sprinkle with sea salt, and sauté until golden brown, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Add onion mixture and remaining 2 cups chicken stock to pot with barley.

Add kale to soup. Simmer until greens are tender, about 15 minutes. Add dill, fennel fronds, and mint; simmer 5 minutes. Add lemon juice. Season soup with sea salt, pepper, thinning with more broth, if desired. Divide soup among bowls. Sprinkle feta cheese over, drizzle with oil, and serve.

 
I even ate this cold for lunch today - and I NEVER eat soup cold.  Now you know it's gotta be good!

Do you guys eat soup in the summer time?  Or am I just a weirdo?

25 comments:

  1. Very nice. I am a huge soup lover and I eat it all year round, I basically have it twice a week if not more. I consider myself a soup fiend, all the wonderful flavors mixed together can play wonders with your palate. Great recipe.

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  2. I love soup no matter what the temperature and yours sounds wonderful. So hearty but yet still light, can't wait to try it!

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  3. I'm with you - soup any time the craving hits! It's always delicious! My hubby isn't a mushroom fan - I can leave them out. But he's a HUGE barley fan! Fantastic!

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  4. I'm sooo with you - I can eat soup anytime of year; even in 90 degree weather! This soup looks delicious - A must try!

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  5. Healthy filling and delicious soup..

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  6. I'm a soup lover too regardless of weather. Your looks good slurp......

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  7. This does look too good to pass up! It has an amazing complexity of flavors.

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  8. Very creative of adding barley into soup as over here its only made into a cold drink. The soup looks so thick and will be awesome with bread dipped inside.

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  9. Healthy and perfect soup for a rainy day..

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  10. I'm a sucker for a really good barley soup...but I don't think I could make this until our weather cools down!

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  11. OK, you've inspired me...I got this amaaazing soup recipe from a family friend, and I've felt kind of weird about trying it in summer. This barley soup looks so good, though, I think I might go for it. Love the feta crumbles in there!

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  12. Love barley soup; what a great idea to add goat cheese.
    Rita

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  13. You're not alone. I'm part of the soup year round camp as well. When a soup has that much going on for it, why should we have to wait until colder months to enjoy? It just isn't fair :)

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  14. It is never the wrong time of year for barley stew, as far as I'm concerned. I just add lots of lemon to mine if I make it in hot weather, because lemon=hot weather food?

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  15. delicious looking barley soup looks wonderful

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  16. I can eat soup any time of year. I actually tend to eat more soup in the summer than in the winter. I am so backwards. Then again I also grow my hair out in the summer and chop it off in the winter. Backwards. This soup looks too good to pass up. Yummy!

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  17. I eat soup all year long, too. I'm looking forward to giving this recipe a try - barley and kale are my 2 favorite things to put in soup!

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  18. What a delicious soup! Can I have a some please?

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  19. Such a delicious and healthy soup! I love addition of a light cheese like feta on top too!

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  20. I've heard about this book for a while and was wondering I should buy this book. Now seeing your barley soup...I'm pretty sure of buying this book.

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  21. It's not too hot for soup if you sit in an air conditioned room and eat it! :D

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  22. I love barley and I often use it in stews and soups. It's also blissfully good in a tomato-based soup and it goes well with red lentils. Also you can use it for orsotto - using barley instead of risotto rice. There is a chef here who invented it, he makes it with soft goat's cheese and pumpkin flesh.
    Oh and your new header pics are beautiful.

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  23. You did it! You went there! I'm fighting off every urge, every image of fall and every glance at a recipe that makes me think of sweaters and soup and you went there!!! Nooooo.

    (lol, please laugh at my melodrama).

    I can see why you couldn't wait though! This soup looks awesome... Now to pout for like another month or two...

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  24. This recipe sounds great! I can't wait for fall weather so that I can start making stuff like this!

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