Usually in the colder months of the year, we turn to soups and stews to warm us up from the inside out. With the Arctic freeze that is enveloping our area for the next week or so, we are pulling out our most warming and comforting favorites.
This simple soup comes from the Berber community of North Africa. Called t’chicha, it uses just a few ingredients to create a wholesome and comforting meal. Tomatoes are the base of the soup. Paprika, along with the tomatoes, sweetens it, while dried thyme gives the soup a backdrop of boldness. Pearl barley naturally thickens the soup and gives it a creamy consistency. This is a staple of our cold weather meal rotation.
Barley & Tomato Soup
Barley & Tomato Soup (adapted from cooking.nytimes.com) Total Time Required: 55 minutes, Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, more to serve
- 1 large yellow onion, 1/4-inch dice
- 1-1/4 cups pearl barley
- 14-ounces diced or crushed tomatoes, undrained
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2-1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1-1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5 cups vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- fresh thyme or parsley for garnish
Directions:
Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, cover the pan, and cook stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 7 minutes.
Sauté the onions.
Add the pearl barley, canned tomatoes, garlic, sweet paprika, salt, and stock to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat.
Add the pearl barley, canned tomatoes, garlic, sweet paprika, salt, . . .
. . . and stock to the pot.
Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid and leave to simmer for 45 minutes or until the barley is fully cooked. If the barley absorbs most of the liquid in the soup at this stage, water can be added progressively to the pot to achieve the desired soup consistency.
Simmer the soup until the barley is fully cooked.
Stir in the dried thyme, taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt if necessary. Serve immediately with a generous drizzle of olive oil and some herbs, if desired.
Garnish the soup with fresh herbs and serve.
We’re ready for the cold weather! ~Linda
Barley & Tomato Soup (adapted from cooking.nytimes.com) Total Time Required: 55 minutes, Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, more to serve
- 1 large yellow onion, 1/4-inch dice
- 1-1/4 cups pearl barley
- 14-ounces crushed tomatoes, undrained
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2-1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1-1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5 cups vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- fresh thyme or parsley for garnish
Directions:
Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, cover the pan, and cook stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 7 minutes.
Add the pearl barley, canned tomatoes, garlic, sweet paprika, salt, and stock to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid and leave to simmer for 45 minutes or until the barley is fully cooked. If the barley absorbs most of the liquid in the soup at this stage, water can be added progressively to the pot to achieve the desired soup consistency. Stir in the dried thyme, taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt if necessary. Serve immediately with a generous drizzle of olive oil and some herbs, if desired.