Vegetable Barley Soup

Charlotte J's Note:

We make this every summer with vegetables from our garden. Our children love to help make this soup and eat it too. I like to double this recipe and freeze the leftovers. You can use any 5 cups of veggies that you like, we just happen to like the carrot/zucchini/cabbage combo.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup uncooked barley
• 2 cups carrots, diced
• 2 cups zucchini, diced
• 1 cup cabbage, chopped
• 9 cups water
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 dash sugar
• salt and pepper
• 24 ounces tomato puree (or whole tomatoes chopped)

Directions:

1. In a large kettle add oil, garlic and onions heat until onions are transparent.
2. Add barley, carrots, zucchini, cabbage, water,parsley and bay leaf bring to boil.
3. Simmer until barley is tender.
4. Add sugar, salt, pepper, and tomatoes cook 15 minutes longer then serve.

Reviews

[Anu]

I felt this was a bit too tomatoey... the taste of the puree overwhelmed all the other flavours. What I DID like were the carrots, which were cooked just right and complimented the yellow pumpkin (which I stubstituted for zucchini) really well. This soup is extremely filling and healthy and is pretty good except for the rather excess tomatoey taste. Thanks for sharing this, Charlotte.

[Dib's]

We really liked this soup. I did not have head cabbage so I used Bok Choy and I used the canned tomatoes. Great flavor with lots of "stuff." Thanks. Diana

[Omniveg]

A good takeoff point--easy to adapt to yoiur preferences. I added some leeks in with the garlic and onions, because I had them on hand, and some chopped leftover chicken toward the end. I left out the zucchini, 'cause I didn't have any, and added frozen peas and corn--and some oregano and bay leaf and a couple shakes of Melinda's Hot Sauce. And just one ripe tomato, chopped fine, instead of the puree. -- I liked my soup, which isn't exactly the same as this one, but this is where I started.