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Recipes · Soups & stews

Pearl Barley Soup

AI-written · not yet kitchen-tested

Pearl barley swells a lot and keeps absorbing liquid even after the heat is off. So soak it for 30 minutes first and do not make the soup too thick. The smoked bacon is rendered before the vegetables go in, so its fat carries the smoky flavor through the whole soup.

  • Serves 4
  • Prep 20 min
  • Cook 60 min
  • Rest 30 min
  • Total 110 min
  • easy
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This recipe was written with AI assistance and has not yet been kitchen-tested. Check quantities and times as you cook, and follow safe core temperatures for meat, poultry, fish and eggs.

Ingredients

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  • 120 g (4.2 oz) pearl barley medium grain, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes, rinsed
  • 100 g (3.5 oz) smoked bacon streaky, cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) dice
  • 1 onion diced
  • 200 g (7.1 oz) carrots peeled, in 1/2-inch (1 cm) dice
  • 100 g (3.5 oz) celery root peeled, in 1/2-inch (1 cm) dice
  • 1.6 l (6 3/4 cup) vegetable broth hot; check the label for allergens
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp marjoram dried
  • 250 g (8.8 oz) potatoes starchy, peeled, in 1/2-inch (1.5 cm) cubes
  • 150 g (5.3 oz) leeks rinsed and sliced into rings
  • 0.5 bunch flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
  • salt to taste, only at the end
  • black pepper to taste

Method

  1. Soak the barley in a bowl with plenty of cold water for 30 minutes, then rinse it in a strainer and let it drain. Prepare the vegetables in the meantime.
  2. Render the bacon in a 4-quart (4-liter) pot over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the pieces take on color. Cook the onion for 3 minutes, then the carrots and celery root for 3 minutes more.
  3. Add the barley, broth, bay leaf and marjoram and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat with the lid set on at an angle for 25 minutes, stirring now and then, because barley likes to settle on the bottom.
  4. Add the potatoes and leeks and simmer for another 15 minutes, until the potatoes and barley are tender. The barley is done when it has no hard bite left but is still a little grainy.
  5. Remove the bay leaf. Season with pepper and salt; the bacon already brings some salt. Stir in the parsley and let the soup rest for 5 minutes.

Tip: By the next day the soup will have set as thick as porridge. Stir in 100 to 200 ml (1/2 to 3/4 cup) of water or broth when reheating.

Tip: Four sliced wieners also work instead of the bacon. They go into the soup only for the last 5 minutes.