Barley and bean soup

Barley and bean soup is a vegetarian and nutritious first course: the perfect comfort food for the coldest days.

Barley and bean soup is a rustic and nutritious dish, perfect for warming up cold winter days. Typical of the peasant tradition , this soup is rich in fiber and proteins, thanks to barley and legumes, which together create a truly enveloping mix of flavors and textures.

Ideal as a single dish, it is a healthy and tasty comfort food , which can be enriched with seasonal vegetables and flavored with fresh herbs. We love it with sage, bay leaves and rosemary . Easy to prepare and incredibly versatile, barley and legume soup is perfect to enjoy hot, accompanied by good homemade bread.

How to prepare the barley and bean soup recipe

1. The night before, soak the beans . We used borlotti beans but cannellini beans, red ones or other local varieties are also good.
2. The next day, first prepare chopped celery, carrot, onion and garlic after carefully removing all the odors.
3. Brown it in a pan with two generous turns of oil and the aromatic herbs . If you want, you can tie them together with string to make removal easier.
4. In the meantime, rinse the pearl barley under running water by placing it in a fine mesh strainer.
5. Place the beans in the pan, cover with water and leave to cook for an hour .
6. Then add the barley and the potatoes , peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes and continue cooking for another 30-40 minutes : both the beans and the barley must be cooked. Finally, season with salt and pepper .
7. Distribute the soup onto plates, complete with a drizzle of raw oil and, if desired, some croutons .

You can speed up the recipe by using 500 g of already cooked canned beans . In this case, put them immediately after the sautéing together with the barley and cook for 30-40 minutes. If they fall apart a little, all the better: your soup will be even creamier.

A perfect variant for autumn is our barley soup with pumpkin and cabbage : quicker to prepare, it is a warm and satiating first course.

Conservation

The barley and legume soup will keep in the refrigerator, closed in an airtight container, for 2-3 days. Reheat it in a pan over low heat before serving.

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