Lemony Barley Soup
When the weather isn’t ready to warm up and you are, this silky, filling lemony barley soup is just the trick. You can put this Mediterranean diet recipe together with healthy kitchen staples straight from the pantry and the fridge in about 30 minutes and be sure to make plenty because you’re gonna want a second bowl. Thanks to Hetty Lui McKinnon from the New York Times for the inspiration!
Ingredients
Extra virgin olive oil
2 cups celery, diced
1 onion large, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt to taste
1 cup pearl barley, rinsed and drained
6 cups vegetable stock
3-5 Tbsps lemon juice
4 cups of fresh baby spinach
Instructions
1
Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat in large stock pot.
2
Add onions, stirring to coat and gently cook until they are translucent.
3
Add celery, stirring into with the onions until the celery is slightly soft.
4
Add the minced garlic, stirring constantly for just a minute or two so it doesn’t burn.
5
Add in the barley and stir until it takes on a bit of toasty color.
6
Bring the barley to a rolling boil, then turn the heat down until the pot is at a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes.
7
Remove from the heat, add lemon juice to your taste.
8
Add all the spinach to the hot soup and stir it in. It will melt right in but stay nice and bright as you serve it up – no extra cooking needed.
9
Serve with a fresh dollop of Greek yogurt and a sprinkling of your favorite herb… chives, parsley or mint… or all three!
And if you want to learn more details about how easy it is to make this dish, just click on the video below and watch it now.
Tags:barley soupCaroline J. Becklemon barley souplemon barley spinach soupMediterranean cookingMediterranean Dietmediterranean diet recipesMediterranean MinutesMediterranean recipes
Caroline J. Beck
This looks delicious, will try it ASAP! Thanks for sharing!
This soup was delicious! Even better on day 2. It’ll go in my recipe folder and I’ll definitely make it again. I used chicken broth because that’s what I had on hand and I added a diced carrot but other than that followed it exactly. Thanks Carolyn.
As with many soups this was even better the next day. I don’t care for spinach so I added some frozen peas instead.I also threw in some diced leftover chicken thighs to meet my protein needs. Definitely a keeper.