Vegetable Barley Soup (Italian Style)
(http://www.all-creatures.org)
Ingredients
1/2 lb Barley
3 cups Hot Water
1-1/2 lbs Green Cabbage, shredded
1/2 lb Carrots, shredded
2 lbs Collard Greens, fresh or frozen, chopped
1 lb Okra, fresh or frozen, pieces
1 lb Green (String) Beans, fresh or frozen, pieces
1 lb Corn Kernels, fresh or frozen
1 lb Peas, fresh or frozen
2-28 oz cans Crushed Tomatoes with Basil
2 tbsp dried Oregano (adjust to taste)
Hot Sauce or Cayenne Pepper, optional (adjust to taste)
1/2 lb Carrots
2 Onions, medium size
6 cloves Garlic
3 ribs Celery
3-4 sprigs fresh Parsley or 2 tbsp dried Parsley flakes
Preparation
- This soup may be prepared in a large (12 quart or larger) soup
pot on stovetop.
- In a high-speed blender container, add the following
ingredients: Peeled and washed Carrots, Onions, and garlic cloves;
washed celery and parsley (if fresh). Add 3 or 4 cups water. Run
covered blender at high speed until contents are pureed. Pour
contents of the blender into the soup pot. Rinse out the blender
container with enough water (including the water used in pureeing)
for a total of 8 cups (2 quarts) water. Add the oregano and hot
pepper (if using dried parsley, add it at this time, too). Set
stovetop burner on “high” heat until contents of soup pot begin to
boil. Then reduce heat to “low” to simmer.
- In a covered sauce pot on the stovetop, cook 1/2 lb Barley in 3
cups boiling water and reduce the heat to simmer or low. When water
is absorbed, turn off the heat.
- Shred washed Green Cabbage and 1/2 lb of peeled and washed
Carrots. Add to soup pot. Add to the soup pot the rest of the
vegetables: Collard Greens, Okra, String Beans, Corn kernels, Peas,
and the crushed Tomatoes with Basil. - Turn to heat back on high
until the soup begins to boil, and then reduce the heat and continue
to simmer. If needed, add additional cold water to just cover
vegetables. Don’t add too much water since the vegetables will
release some liquid as they cook.
- When the veggies in the soup pot are cooked, add barley to soup
pot and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes, and then turn off
the heat and let the covered soup pot sit on the stovetop for about
another 30 minutes.
Your question and comments are welcome
