A few years back, when I was sick, my husband brought home a veggie barley soup by Wolfgang Puck. I fell in love instantly and now, it’s the first one I want when I’m feeling a little under the weather or even in the mood for some comfort soup. There’s a heartiness about it without the fuss of heaviness to it. As much as I love Chef Puck’s soup, I wanted to create my version at home.
For a couple of winters, I tried several variations but was never satisfied with it because none of them measured up to Chef Puck’s soup. Well, how can anything really? Anyways, I kept at it and I think I’ve found a great version that works for me. I’m sure you will enjoy it as much as I do.
I found all of the produce at the farmer’s market, making it more sustainable, organic, and healthy (c’mon, we all know there’s more sodium in a can of anything….no matter how delicious it tastes!).
I just love having fresh veggies, and for me, the more the better! Added benefit, when my daughter was cooking this with me, she said, “Mamma, we’re eating the rainbow!” Made me so proud as I’m trying to teach her to eat her colors to get a variety of nutrients. Score 1 for Mom!
If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll figure out that I’m a barley addict! But really, what’s not to love? It’s high in protein, high in fiber and has so much nutrition!
So… what are you waiting for?! Try out this delicious goodness and enjoy some comfort with rainbows and barley like me.
Ingredients:
½ c pearl barley
½ c green lentils
½ med onion, diced
1 med carrot, diced
3 ribs of celery, diced
½ zucchini, diced
½ yellow squash, diced
1 potato, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 bay leaf
1/3 c tomato sauce
4 c low sodium veggie broth
1 c water
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
pepper to taste
cilantro to garnish
Directions:
In a deep pot, heat olive oil and sauté onions until they are browned. Add in garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds to let the aroma bloom. Add in all the veggies and sauté for a few minutes until the veggies are tender. Mix in the spices and bay leaf. Cook for 2 minutes. Add in the tomato sauce and mix well. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the barley, lentils, veggie broth, water, salt and pepper. Mix well and cook covered for 30 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary.
Serve with a slice of garlic bread and enjoy!
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