Description
A comforting vegetable soup filled with hearty grains and vibrant veggies, perfect for chilly evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced (any color)
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1 cup barley (or farro, rinsed if necessary)
- 1 cup tomato sauce (in a jar)
- 5 cups water
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for about 3 minutes until they start to soften.
- Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Toss in the bell pepper and zucchini. Stir and cook for 5–7 minutes until the vegetables soften slightly.
- Add the barley or farro, tomato sauce, water, thyme, oregano, cumin (if using), and salt. Stir well to combine.
- Bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for 25–30 minutes until the grains are tender.
- Add the fresh spinach and cook for another 3–5 minutes until it wilts. Squeeze in the juice of 1/2 lemon.
- Taste the soup before serving and adjust the salt as needed.
Notes
Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. For a gluten-free version, swap barley for quinoa or brown rice.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: vegetable soup, barley soup, comfort food, healthy soup, meal prep, vegetarian recipe
