Easy Vegetarian Minestrone Soup Recipe
For this easy vegetarian minestrone soup recipe, we included pearl barley – a hearty grain that’s often overlooked in grocery shops.
However, it happens to be an excellent source of carbs and fibre, as well as aiding blood sugar control and improving circulation.
Pearl Barley Minestrone Soup
Minestrone is a chunky vegetable soup that originated in Italy many centuries ago. It usually features a wide variety of seasonal vegetables, as well as beans, pasta, or rice.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Spatula
- Chopping Board
- Knife
- Can opener
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 brown onion peeled, diced
- 4 cloves garlic peeled, minced
- 1 carrot sliced or chopped
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 red pepper seeds removed, chopped
- 1 courgette chopped
- 2 medium potatoes peeled or washed, chopped
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- ½ can red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 100 g pearl barley
- 2 l vegetable stock
- 150 ml pickle juice optional
- 3-4 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep all of your veggies and canned products. Heat the oil in the pot over medium heat.
- Add onion and garlic to the pot. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly. Wait for the onion to start turning translucent.
- Add carrots, pepper, celery and potatoes. Keep cooking for another 5 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, beans, pearl barley, vegetable stock, pickle juice (if using), and bay leaves. Bring your soup to boil and simmer for about 25 minutes.
- Check that potatoes and pearl barley are cooked. Taste your soup and add salt and pepper as needed. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Notes
You can use store-bought vegetable stock or make your own at home. Depending on its salt content, you might not even need to add any extra salt at the end.
Pearl barley contains gluten, so for a gluten-free minestrone, feel free to use brown rice or a small variety of gluten-free pasta.
Nutrition
Calories: 254kcal
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