Delicious, warming and totally fat free bean and barley soup. Great for your taste buds and easy on our waist line.
Ingredients
2 cups barley, soaked in water for 1-5 hrs
2 cups white beans, soaked in water for 1-5 hrs
8-12 cups water (if you want your soup thicker, use less water, otherwise use all 12 cups)
¼ cup water to sauté veggies
4 medium size carrots, cut into half and then chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
½ cup chopped parsley
2 tbsp cumin powder
3 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
Himalayan or sea salt to taste
black pepper to taste
Instructions
Having soaked barley, strain water and rinse, place into a cooking pot, add 4 cups of water and salt; bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium and boil for 30 minutes
Strain water from beans, rinse; add beans to barley and add remaining water; boil on medium heat for additional 30-40 minutes
Place garlic and onions in a skillet, sauté in water for 3-5 minutes on high heat, stirring
Add carrot and sauté for 5 more minutes on medium heat
Add bell pepper and sauté for additional 5 minutes
Add cumin and tomato paste, stirring to incorporate into the mixture
After cooking beans and barley for indicated time, taste to see if both are well cooked; if they are, add vegetable mix, increase heat to high to bring soup to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low , cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes;
Add parsley and let the soup sit for about 5 minutes before serving
Notes
If you decide not to add tomato paste, your stew is going to look lighter.
Have it with a slice of homemade whole wheat, no knead bread.
Recipe by Vegalicious at https://www.vega-licious.com/vegan-bean-barley-soup-recipe/