Vegetable Barley Soup

Before having this soup, I had never cooked barley before, and (at least to my knowledge), never even tasted barley before.  For those of you that are like me and didn't know, barley is a grain. It is delicious and I really am glad I tried it.  I love finding new healthier foods to incorporate into my cooking.  Barley will definitely be eaten again around here!

Now onto the soup.  Even though there wasn't any meat in it, this is definitely a hearty soup-I'd say it was more like stew.  I wanted to keep it vegetarian, so I used vegetable broth, but you can use chicken broth if that's what you have.  Matt and I both really enjoyed this soup and loved how healthy it was-it really is a meal that you can feel good about eating!

Vegetable Barley Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 small-medium sized red potatoes, diced
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, roughly chopped, reserve juice
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
64 ounces vegetable broth 
1 cup frozen mixed veggies - lima beans, corn, peas, green beans
3/4 cup pearl barley
Pinch thyme
Pinch black pepper

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or saucepan.  Add onions, carrots, and celery; saute 5-7 minutes. Add tomatoes; saute 2 minutes. Add potatoes, thyme, pepper, then add the broth, juices from the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, slightly uncovered. Add frozen veggies and barley. Let simmer 45 minutes or until the barley is tender.


Source: Adapted from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations