Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 1/3 cup pearl barley ((to make 1 cup barley cooked))
  • 1 cup vegetable broth (or Better Than Bouillon, or water)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon table salt ((do not add salt if you use Better Than Bouillon))
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2/3 cup grated yellow onion
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon table salt)
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 2 cups vegetable broth (or Better Than Bouillon)
  • 1 Yukon gold potato (diced)
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Instruction

  • If you don't have cooked barley in the refrigerator or freezer, start it first. To do this: bring 1 cup of broth (or water) to a boil, and add 1/3 cup of barley to the broth. Add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon table salt). Cover the pot, reduce to a simmer, and cook until al dente. This should take 25 - 30 minutes for pearl barley. Drain. You should end up with 1 cup of cooked barley grain.If you have hulled barley, it will take approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour to cook. This step can be done ahead. Click the link for more details on how to cook pearl barley.
  • Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot you plan to cook the entire soup. Add the onion, garlic, and celery, and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes.
  • Stir in the tomato paste, turmeric, salt and pepper, and cook for another couple of minutes to bring up the flavor of the tomato paste. The tomato paste adds great umami to this dish, so make sure it's very fragrant before moving to the next step.
  • Stir in the broth, bring to a simmer, and add the potato and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked barley (you should about 1 cup of cooked barley).
  • Add the fresh mint, lime juice, and serve immediately with a hunk of crusty bread. Serve with a lime wedge and additional mint.