Vegetarian Barley-Vegetable Soup

This is the kind of soup your grandmother made when the weather turned and someone needed feeding. Pearl barley simmers long enough in a tomato broth to swell into creamy, chewy kernels that thicken the pot without any flour or starch.

The vegetable base is a classic mirepoix, but built on butter instead of oil for a richer mouthfeel. Five minutes of sauté on the onion, carrot, and celery before adding anything else is what gives the finished broth depth, not just sweetness.

The canned tomatoes and water make a light vegetable broth as the barley cooks, so there is no need for stock. The barley releases starches into the pot over the hour and a half of simmering, turning a thin broth into something almost velvety.

The frozen green beans only go in for the last ten minutes. Any earlier and they turn olive-drab and squeaky. Late addition keeps them bright and snappy against the soft barley.

Fresh dill stirred in off the heat is the finishing touch that makes this soup feel Eastern European rather than plain-Jane. That vegetal, slightly anise kick lifts everything.

Kitchen Tips

• Rinse the pearl barley under cold water before adding it to the pot. Washing off surface starch keeps the soup from going gummy.
• For a deeper broth, swap the 8 cups of water for vegetable stock, or stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste with the canned tomatoes.
• Taste before adding all the salt. Canned tomatoes and stock can be salty already.
• The soup thickens considerably overnight as the barley keeps drinking liquid. Thin with a splash of water or stock when reheating.

Variations

• Stir in a can of white cannellini beans during the last 10 minutes for a heartier, higher-protein bowl.
• Substitute frozen peas for the green beans for a sweeter spring version.
• Add a bay leaf, a splash of red wine, and a parmesan rind with the tomatoes for a more Italian profile.