Lentil and Barley Soup
Ever since the temperatures dropped, every lunch and dinner starts for me with a steaming bowl of soup.
I absolutely love soups, and they have so many health benefits.
In my opinion, eating soup is a wonderful way to stay hydrated in the winter when you don't feel like drinking water as much as in the summer, and it's also a great way to eat plenty of vegetables and legumes.
Yes, it's true. It's better to eat fresh vegetables like in a salad, but there's nothing wrong with cooking vegetables and eating them floating in a rich soup.
They will still contain many minerals, vitamins, and dietary fiber.
Add legumes and whole grains to the soup, and you have a complete, highly nutritious, and warming meal.
Lentils:
I love adding green lentils to the soup, which provide both a deep, rich flavor and a nice amount of protein and dietary fiber.
I also add, just for fun, a generous handful of barley. Regular or pearl barley (which are barley seeds) are another wonderful addition of fiber, protein, and carbohydrates.
A bit about Lentil and Barley Soup
The soup contains a variety of vegetables like sweet potato, potato, carrot, celery, and more—you can omit or add any vegetable you like.
Feel like Jerusalem artichoke instead of potato? Go for it. Don't like carrots but love pumpkin? That's wonderful.
Note that the soup should contain at least 5 vegetables to fill the pot; otherwise, the soup will be too thin.
To ensure the soup comes out rich and full of flavor, I use celery stalks and leaves as well as a bunch of parsley. You can substitute with parsley root or celery root, which provide great flavor and aroma.
Perhaps most important in soup are the spices. You can use any variety of the wonderful spices found in the market. I used Hawaii for soup and boosted it with cumin, which I think blends perfectly in this soup. You can also use curry powder or Ras el Hanout.
For the spices to give their best flavor, it's important to sauté them slightly to "open up" their flavors.
Nutritional Values:
A bowl of lentil and barley soup weighing between 650-700g will contain:
- 300 kcal
- 10g protein
- 53g carbohydrates
- 7g fat
Lentil and Barley Soup
Ingredients
- 100 g uncooked green lentils 1/2 cup
- 150 g pearl barley 1/2 cup
- 1 sweet potato peeled and cubed - 300g
- 2 carrots peeled and cubed - 200g
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and cubed - 300g
- 2 stalks celery + leaves washed, thinly sliced
- 1 handful chopped parsley
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 4 tbsp olive oil 40 ml
- 1 tbsp Hawaii spice blend for soup
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 flat tbsp coconut sugar 15g
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 3 liters water
Instructions
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The night before making the soup, rinse the lentils well to remove dust and soak in water until covered.
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The next day, drain the water and set aside.
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Rinse the barley well and set aside.
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In a large, deep pot intended for soup, sauté the onion until translucent.
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Add the spices: Hawaii, cumin, sugar, and salt. Stir and sauté for a minute or two to let the spices bloom in the oil.
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Add the lentils and barley and sauté for a few minutes.
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Add the vegetables, stir well, and continue to sauté to absorb the spices.
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Add the water, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and bring to a boil.
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Using a spoon, remove the foam that forms at the sides of the pot and lower the heat.
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Cook for at least one hour.
Recipe Video
Chef's Notes
The soup tastes even better the next day.
If the barley absorbs all the liquid and you end up with something more like a stew than a soup, simply add more liquid and cook for about half an hour, adding a few more spices to adjust the seasoning.
