I can't believe it is already October! I thought I would start off the month with a hearty soup. This one is for my vegetarian friends. However my boys say it is their favourite.
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups dried french lentils ( lentilles du-Puy), rinsed
1 1/2 cups pearl barley, rinsed
1 onion diced
3 carrots diced
3 celery stalks diced
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon of minced fresh ginger
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups of canned San Marzano peeled Roma tomatoes, diced very finely
1 large bay leaf
salt
freshly ground black pepper
METHOD:
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Saute onions, carrots, and celery for 10 minutes. Stirring frequently. Salt the vegetables to taste. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook briefly until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the diced Roma tomatoes, lentils, barley, bay leaf, more salt, and black pepper. Fill the pot with approximately 1 litre of water just so that the water line is 2 inches above the ingredients in the pot.
Bring to a boil, cover and lower heat to a simmer for 35 minutes.
Adjust seasoning if necessary and remove bay leaf. Serve with additional freshly ground pepper (optional).
TIPS:
1. When cooking any legume, the rule of thumb is to add water/any liquid/stock to two inches above the amount in a pot.
2. When sauteeing onions (carrots and celery) longer than 5 minutes, always season with salt after adding them to the oil in the pan. The salt releases the liquid in the onions etc, to prevent the mixture from burning.
3. Pearl barley cooks much quicker than regular pot barley.
4. French lentils also known as Lentilles du Puy, and Umbrian lentils (from Italy) are my favourite in soups.
5. This soup freezes well. Cook a double batch and freeze in individual portions for a quick meal.
