Vegetables and Barley Soup

What better way to start the week than a good soup full of seasonal vegetables? I learned to love soups in Italy, because there they make their soups with legumes and cereals, which makes them even more delicious.

The preparation of the dish is fast, no need to stay close to monitor the cooking. The soup can be kept for two days in the fridge or may be frozen.

You can add vegetables to the soup, depending on the season, or legumes, such as lentils.

For a gluten-free version, replace barley with buckwheat or millet. Adapt the cooking times according to the cereals used.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Serving: 4

Ingredients

• 1 can of tomato
• 4 cups of vegetable broth
• 200 g of pearl barley
• 1 celery stalk
• 2 potatoes
• 3 carrots
• 1 onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil

Preparation

1. Wash the celery branch, carrots, and potatoes. Cut the vegetables into cubes.
2. Peel and cut the onion and garlic clove.
3. Pour the barley, all the vegetables, the onion, and the garlic into a sauce pan. Drizzle in olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Add the bay leaf, tomato, and vegetable broth.
4. Bring to a boil. When the broth is boiling, lower the heat and cook for 30 minutes.