Spring Barley Soup Recipes

RICH BEEF BARLEY SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Add the oxtails, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until browned all over. Remove the oxtails with a slotted spoon and reserve.
• Add the leeks, carrots, onion, celery, and garlic to the fat in the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until the vegetables start to brown. Tie the thyme sprigs together with kitchen string and add to the pot along with the bay leaves. Return the oxtails to the pot and add the broth, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Discard the thyme bundle and the bay leaves, and skim off the fat.
• Meanwhile, bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add the barley. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, drain, and set aside.
• When the soup is ready, add the barley and cook the soup for another 15 or 20 minutes, until the barley is tender. Depending on the saltiness of the stock, the soup might need another teaspoon of salt and some pepper. Serve hot, with or without the oxtails.

CHICKEN AND BARLEY SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery and leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leek softens, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cabbage, paprika,
• 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and stir to coat. Increase the heat to medium high and cook, stirring often, until the cabbage is wilted and the vegetables start browning, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add 2 cups water, the chicken broth and chopped chicken to the pot; bring to a simmer. Add the barley, cover and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
• Divide the soup among bowls. Top with the sour cream, dill and more paprika.

SPRING CHICKEN & BARLEY SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; add onion and celery and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Add garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add broth, chicken and barley. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate with a slotted spoon.
• Return the broth to a simmer and cook until the barley is tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, shred the chicken or cut into bite-size pieces; discard the bone.
• When the barley is done, add the chicken, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes with juice, asparagus, peas, salt and a grinding of pepper; return to a simmer.
• Cover and cook over low heat until the asparagus is tender, about 5 minutes more.
• Gather basil and orange zest and finely chop together.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle each serving with a generous pinch of the basil mixture.

BARLEY AND SPRING ONION SOUP WITH FAVA BEANS

Steps:

• Quarter the onions lengthwise (stem to root end), then slice thinly across the grain.
• In a large, heavy soup pot heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until they have softened and begun to darken a little; do not let them brown. Add a pinch of salt, the stock and the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, add the barley, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 1 hour. Taste and adjust salt. Add freshly ground pepper.
• Remove the bouquet garni and discard. Add the fava beans and continue to simmer for 5 to 8 minutes more. Stir in the herbs. Serve, topping each bowl with the cheese croutons.

WINTER VEG AND BARLEY SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a pan and add all of the veg. Cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until the veg has just started to soften.
• Stir in the bay leaves, thyme, pearl barley, white wine, stock and tomato puree. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes until the vegetables are very tender and the pearl barley is soft.
• Remove the bay leaves and thyme stalk and stir in the chopped parsley. season to taste and serve hot.

SPRING VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, and cook the onion and garlic until tender. Mix in potato, broccoli, corn, spinach, mushrooms, carrots, and cabbage. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes, until potato is tender.
• Stir egg noodles and white beans into the pot, and continue cooking 7 minutes, or until noodles are tender and beans are heated through.

CREAMY LEMON-BARLEY SOUP

Steps:

• Combine chicken, broth, 1 cup leekgreens, and 2 cups water in a pot.Season with salt and pepper. Bring toa boil, then reduce heat and simmeruntil chicken is cooked through,15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate;strain liquid through a fine-mesh sieve.(You should have about 5 cups.) Rinsepot; return strained broth to it and placeover medium heat. Add barley and leekrounds; bring to a simmer and cookuntil leeks are tender, 6 to 8 minutes.Meanwhile, shred chicken into bite-sizepieces (discarding skin and bones).
• Whisk together yolks, lemon juice,and a pinch of salt in a heatproof bowl.Slowly add 1 cup hot broth to yolkmixture, whisking constantly. Removebroth from heat; slowly stir yolk mixtureback into broth. Return chicken tobroth; cook over medium heat, stirringoften, 5 minutes (do not let boil). Stir inwatercress; season with salt and pepper.Spoon soup into a bowl; top withmore watercress, pepper, and a drizzleof oil. Serve.