Winter Tomato Barley Soup Recipe

Dec 8, 2010
Jill Harris

Winter Tomato Barley Soup Recipe - J. Harris

Homemade soup is the perfect remedy for cold weather. This vegetarian barley and tomato soup is made using seasonal vegetables and canned tomato juice.

Soup is a mainstay of long winters. It’s easy to create warming soup from canned and frozen vegetables and other winter staples. You don’t even have to buy expensive out-of-season fresh vegetables.

The barley in this soup recipe thickens the soup and makes it feel hearty. It's carbohydrate-rich, so serve it with some beans or other high-protein foods for a balanced meal. Try a lentil or bean dish, or simple bread and hummus.

This soup recipe makes an easy weeknight meal. First, prepare the soup. While it simmers (and the barley cooks), prepare the salad or side dishes. There are some ideas below the recipe on this page. To add flair to your presentation, top the soup with rustic croutons (recipe below), dot with cream cheese or add a dollop of sour cream and chives.

Winter Tomato Barley Soup Recipe

Makes: 4 servings

Time to prepare: 10 minutes

Time to cook: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. dried basil
4 cups tomato juice
2 tsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cups vegetable stock
¼ cup quick-cooking barley

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.
When hot, add the onions and stir well.
Sauté the onions for a few minutes, until soft. Add minced garlic and stir.
Add dried basil and stir.
Add tomato juice, sugar, ground black pepper, vegetables stock and barley.
Raise heat to high and bring soup to a boil, stirring often.
Lower heat to low-medium, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until barley is soft and cooked.
Top with rustic croutons and serve hot.

Rustic Croutons Recipe

Ingredients:

2 slices rustic whole-grain bread, preferably day-old
Cream cheese (for lacto-vegetarian croutons) OR extra-virgin olive oil, freshly cracked black pepper and salt (for vegan croutons)

Directions:

Toast bread until golden brown.
Cool and top with cream cheese or drizzle with olive oil, cracked black pepper and salt.
Add croutons to winter tomato barley soup just before serving.

Optional serving suggestions for winter tomato barley soup:

Top with a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream before serving.
Add ¼ cup lentils with the barley for a protein boost.
Serve as a first course to vegetarian lentil loaf or grilled tofu with vegetables.
Omit rustic croutons and serve with garlic-cheese bread
Substitute rice for the barley, adjusting the cook time to the type of rice (longer for brown rice, shorter for white rice)