Description
A hearty and flavorful Barley Lentil Soup, simmered with aromatic spices, tender vegetables, and a bright touch of lemon. This comforting soup combines pearl barley and green lentils for a nutritious, filling meal perfect for cooler days.
Ingredients
Soup Ingredients
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 1 cup green lentils
- 2 cups chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup diced carrots
- ½ cup diced celery
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 14 oz canned tomatoes
- 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (or more)
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice (as needed for serving)
- Salt (as needed)
Instructions
- Heat the oil and soften vegetables: In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the chopped onion, diced celery, and diced carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes and broth: Stir in the canned tomatoes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Then, add the chicken or vegetable broth, pearl barley, green lentils, curry powder, ground coriander, black pepper, and bay leaves. Stir everything to combine well.
- Simmer the soup: Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let the soup simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the barley and lentils are tender. Once done, turn off the heat.
- Season and serve: Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with salt as needed. Stir in the lemon zest for a fresh, bright flavor. Serve the soup hot with a squeeze of freshly squeezed lemon juice and chopped cilantro if desired for garnish.
Notes
- You can use vegetable broth to keep the soup vegetarian or chicken broth for additional flavor.
- Adjust the amount of black pepper according to your spice preference.
- The lemon juice added just before serving enhances the overall brightness and balances the spices.
- Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Chopped cilantro is optional but recommended for a fresh herbal note.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: International
