Tasty Tuesday: Warm Lentil and Barley Soup

It's soup weather, and Dan and I recently enjoyed one of my personal favorites.

I made this soup for the first time when I worked at David's Bridal. In the midst of the crazy fast-paced world that is the bridal business, I spent my half-hour lunches sipping this soup all week and reading In Praise of Slowness.

In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed (Plus)

Those breaks were like a mini vacation to look forward to each day. A perfect way to shed the stress. Since it takes a little more time to make than some of my other recipes, and it's flavor is simultaneously simple and complex (is that possible?), the soup and the book go together like seafood and white wine.

So here's what you'll need:


That's olive oil, an onion, two carrots, a cup of lentils, 12 cups of chicken broth (or, in this case, 12 cups of water and 4 tablespoons of bullion), a can of kidney beans, a can of white beans, a can of black beans (I cook my own and freeze them - if you do the same, you need 1 1/2 cups), a can of diced tomatoes, a tablespoon each of basil and cumin, 1/2 a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and a few sprigs of parsley, or, if you're like me and forgot to buy fresh parsley, about 2 teaspoons of dried parsley.

Start by putting a very large pot on the stove (I use a Dutch oven - this makes a lot of soup!) and heating about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Meanwhile, chop the onion.


Add the onion to the pot and saute it until translucent - probably around 5 minutes? Meanwhile, boil 2 cups of water in a small pot.


Add the lentils and four cups of the broth/water and bullion.



Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Add the barley to the boiling water and cook it for 20 minutes as well.


Meanwhile, chop the carrots.


When the lentils are done cooking, add the carrot, cover, and simmer for 10 more minutes.


While that's cooking, drain the black beans and the white beans. Put HALF of them in a blender or food processor and puree them. I use a baby food processor, because it is very easy to use and clean up.


When the 10 minutes are up, add the pureed beans and the whole black and white beans to the pot.


Drain the kidney beans and the barley and add them, too.

Finally, add the tomatoes, herbs, and spices.


Simmer, uncovered, for 30 more minutes.

Don't even think about serving this without some very hearty bread! It's not filling enough to be a stand-alone dinner...


MMMMMM! Enjoy!


Want to print it? Copy and paste this:

Warm Lentil and Barley Soup

Ingredients:

1 large onion

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup lentils

1/3 cup pearl barley

12 cups quarts chicken broth

2 carrots

1 can black beans

1 can white beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon basil

1 tablespoon cumin

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons parsley (dried or fresh)

Chop the onion. In a very large pot over medium heat, sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent. Meanwhile, boil 2 cups of water in another saucepan. To the onion, add the lentils and 4 cups of chicken broth, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Add the barley to the boiling water and cook until the 20 minutes is up.

While the barley and lentils are cooking, chop the carrot. Add the carrot and the rest of the broth to the lentils and simmer, covered, for 10 more minutes. While the lentils are cooking, drain and rinse the black and white beans, and puree half of them. After the 10 minutes is up, add the pureed beans, whole black and white bean, and rinsed and drained kidney beans to the pot, along with the barley (drained), tomatoes, and herbs and spices. Simmer for 30 more minutes.