Pearl Barley Soup - A Tasty & Cheap Meal Option

Pearl Barley Soup; Tasty, nutritious and cheap to make

Pearl Barley Soup

A family favourite soup that's hearty, nutritious, easy to make, and freezes beautifully! I quite often make this when I find yellow sticker vegetables in the supermarket, especially mushrooms. I recently picked up a 12p fresh vegetable soup pack as a yellow sticker bargain and 25p mushrooms, and it made this already pretty cheap to-make soup amazingly frugal! I always have pearl barley in the cupboard; a little goes a long way!

Ingredients:

• 4oz Organic Dried Pearl Barley

• 2 litres of vegetable or chicken stock

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 3 carrots, diced

• 1 celery stalk, diced - I don't use this as I hate celery, but it will enhance the flavour of the soup

• 8oz mushrooms, sliced (button mushrooms work well)

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish, optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the pearl barley:

• Rinse the pearl barley under cold water to remove any debris. Set aside.

1. Sauté vegetables:

• In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, diced carrots, and diced celery. Sauté for 5-6 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften.

1. Add mushrooms and garlic:

• Add the sliced mushrooms and minced garlic to the pot. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and golden brown.

1. Add barley and herbs:

• Stir in the pearl barley, dried thyme, and dried rosemary. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, to toast the barley and herbs.

1. Simmer the soup:

• Pour in the vegetable or chicken broth, stirring to combine. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 40-45 minutes, or until the barley is tender and the soup has thickened to your desired consistency.

1. Season to taste:

• Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper as needed. Adjust the seasoning to suit your preference.

1. Serve:

• Ladle the mushroom barley soup into bowls. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired. Serve hot and enjoy!

Tips:

• You can customise this soup by adding other vegetables such as diced potatoes, diced tomatoes, or spinach.

• You can add a splash of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce to the soup for extra flavour.

• Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days or frozen for longer storage.