Italian Barley Soup

This soup is so thick that it resembles a stew. It is most welcome in the winter months, as it quickly warms and strengthens us.

Details

  • Preparation Time: 200 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 110 minutes
  • Difficulty: 2
  • Spiciness: 0
  • Number of Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 225 g Barley, husked

  • 1.5 l Soup base, beef, cube

  • 3 spoons Oil, olive

  • 2 piece Carrot, fresh

  • 1 piece Onion, raw

  • 2 piece Green, raw

  • 1 piece Leek

  • 1 piece Potatoes, white

  • 115 g Meat, pork, smoked bacon

  • 1 piece Spices, bay (leaves)

  • 3 spoons Parsley, fresh

  • 1 twig Rosemary, fresh

  • 0.25 teaspoons Salt, table

  • 2 pinch Spices, pepper, black

  • 6 spoon Cheese, Parmesan, grated

Steps

  1. Clean the vegetables, wash them, and cut them into smaller pieces. Cut the bacon into cubes.

  2. Place a larger pot with the broth on the stove and add the soaked barley. Cook over medium heat until the broth comes to a boil. Then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and cook for 1 hour. Skim off any foam that forms during cooking with a skimmer.

  3. After one hour of cooking, add the oil, vegetables, and bacon. Finally, add the herbs. Add water if needed. Cook the soup on low heat for another 40 minutes or until the vegetables and barley are completely tender.

  4. Taste the cooked soup and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and serve.

Nutrition Information (Per 100g)

  • Calories: 180.87 kcal
  • Fat: 7.74 g
    • Saturated Fat: 1.73 g
  • Carbohydrates: 22.4 g
    • Sugars: 1.64 g
  • Protein: 4.19 g
  • Fiber: 4.28 g

Advice

An excellent vegetarian version of this soup can be prepared by using vegetable broth instead of meat broth and omitting the bacon. Barley must be soaked before cooking. A quicker version can be made with pearl barley (polished or pearled barley), which does not need to be soaked and cooks in just 50 minutes.