teo
1.5 litres / 2½ pints Chicken or vegetable stock (homemade or use stock cubes) |
100g / 3½ oz Pearl barley (see 'notes for cook' below) |
2 leeks, trimmed top and bottom |
2 celery sticks, top and tailed |
2 large carrots, peeled |
1 medium parsnip, peeled |
5 tablespoons white wine |
2 tablespoons tomato puree |
2 bay leaves |
2 tablespoons chopped parsley |
Black pepper (freshly ground if possible) to taste |
Bread (optional extra) |
Pearl Barley is a 'pulse' well known to cooks but if you are an amateur, I can assure you your local shops will stock it. It's normally near the dried vegetables (such as lentils). It is also cheap and keeps for ages and ages!
If you keep to the cooking times below you will end up with a soup where the vegetables still have a bit of their 'crunch' left, just the way we like it. Cooking for longer will soften the vegetables more.
No salt has been included in the recipe because the stock cubes / tinned stock will contain enough salt on their own. Taste the soup five minutes before serving and add any more salt at that point if you want.
Recipe by David Marks.
First, make the chicken (or vegetable) stock either using stock cubes (follow packet instructions for how many cubes to make 2.5 pints) or canned chicken / vegetable stock. Use a medium sized-pan.
Add the pearl barley and simmer the mixture whilst continuing on with the steps below. Stir occasionally.
Simmer this mixture for about five minutes with the pan covered. Stir a couple of times to prevent the leeks sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Add the remaining chopped vegetables to the large pan. Simmer for another 5 minutes stirring a couple of times.
Add the tomato puree and bay leaves to complete the soup.
Bring it to the boil then simmer for about 25 minutes stirring occasionally.