Hearty Vegetable Soup

We are real soup lovers in this house. I don't think I have ever met a soup I did not like and neither has Todd. There is a cafe at the market in town that does lovely bowls of soup and for a really good price. Todd just loves to treat himself to a bowl when he goes into town in the winter.

This is a great soup for cold and windy days and a great soup for using up what is in the vegetable bin. You can vary the vegetables according to whatever you have on hand.

This is hearty and delicious. Today I used carrots, swede, celery, onion, leeks, cabbage . . . and I might even have added a splash of tomato juice. I can't remember. But if I did it was only a splash.

The barley makes it especially hearty. I do so love barley or rice in a soup, don't you?

You could add a handful of dried peas as well if you wanted to. They would go very well. In any case this basic recipe can be a canvas for you to work upon and create your own speciality!

*Hearty Vegetable Soup*

Serves 4 to 6

Printable Recipe

This is a really lovely soup, chock full of vegetables and all that is good for you. With some crusty bread this makes a simple and delicious meal!

1 TBS butter

1 TBS olive oil

1 large brown onion, peeled and diced

4 stalks of celery, trimmed and diced

3 medium parsnips, peeled, cored and diced

(Alternately you can use an equivalent in swede/rutabaga, peeled and diced}

3 medium carrots, peeled and diced

1 large leek, washed, trimmed and diced

a few handfuls of chopped cabbage

3 large cloves of garlic, crushed

a sprig of fresh thyme

1 1/2 litres chicken or vegetable stock (about 6 1/2 cups)

60g of uncooked pearl barley (1/3 cup)

fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil and butter together in a large saucepan. Add all of the vegetables except for the garlic. Stir to coat. Sweat over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until beginning to soften. Add the garlic and thyme. Cook for a few minutes longer. Add the stock along with some seasoning. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the barley. Simmer gently for about half an hour until the barley is cooked. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper as desired. Serve hot with some crusty bread.

(Don't forget to fish out and discard the thyme stalk!)