Description
This Barley Vegetable Stone Soup soup, filled with vegetables, lentils, barley, and herbs, is inspired by the classic Stone Soup story, which is all about sharing and making something of nothing.
Ingredients
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with liquid, reduced sodium
- ½ cup brown or green lentils, uncooked
- ½ cup barley, uncooked
- 1 medium onion (red, yellow, or white), chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 medium (about 2 ounces each) carrots, sliced (purple, yellow, or orange)
- 2 small (about 5 ounces each) summer squash (i.e., zucchini, scalloped, yellow crookneck), sliced
- 4 small (about 4 ounces each) thin-skinned potatoes, diced (i.e., Yukon gold or red potatoes)
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried mustard
- 6 slices whole grain bread
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup chopped fresh herbs (i.e., sage, parsley, basil, oregano, chives, marjoram)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot, add broth, water, and canned tomatoes. Stir well and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Add lentils, barley, onion, garlic, celery, carrots, summer squash, potatoes, mushrooms, black pepper, paprika, thyme, oregano, and mustard. Stir well and cover with a tight fitting lid. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until barley and lentils are tender. Replace any water lost to evaporation (should make a thick, hearty texture).
- Toast whole grain bread in the oven or toaster until brown and very crisp. Slice into small cubes.
- Add lemon juice and fresh herbs to the soup, and season with salt (optional).
- Ladle hot soup into soup bowls and garnish with whole grain croutons (1/2 slice of toast per serving). Refrigerate leftover soup and reheat as desired (add croutons just before serving to maintain crisp texture).
Notes
To make this recipe in a slow cooker, add all ingredients in steps 1-2 to the slow cooker, stir well, cover, and set to high for 4 hours. When done, follow step 3 as directed, add ingredients in step 4 to slow cooker, and serve soup as directed in step 5.
Instant Pot Directions: Steps 1-2 should be done in the Instant Pot by adding all of these ingredients and pressing the “Chili/Bean” setting. Follow steps 3-5 above.
To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute a gluten-free grain for barley (i.e., quinoa, brown rice, or sorghum), and use gluten-free bread.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup
- Calories: 155
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 197 mg
- Fat: 1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
