Barley
Winter-Warming, Freezer-Friendly, Pantry-Cleaning Soup
Popular on Food52
33 Reviews
Mae
June 26, 2019
I just made this with some slight changes to suite what I had on hand, and it came out surprisingly good! Not that I expected it to be bad, I just didn't really expect it to be anything special. I used lentils because I didn't have chickpeas, so I did miss out on the seasoning opportunity with the way the chickpeas are slow cooked. Still, it came out great!
Krista L.
November 3, 2018
This soup is just so amazing--I make it several times a year. The manner in which the chickpeas are cooked takes them to the next level and the parmesan rind tucked in there adds a depth of flavor that's unmatched. One of my favorite soups of all time.
LLcsf
October 15, 2017
Has anyone tried making this soup using canned chickpeas to reduce the prep and cooking time?
Cheryl
October 15, 2017
Yes! I plan on using dried chickpeas next time, but make it any way you can. It's delicious and everyone loves it. Add in a Parmesan rind if you have it.
LLcsf
October 15, 2017
Thanks for your reply, Cheryl. So, how do you adjust the recipe when you use canned chickpeas? I assume you don't follow Step 1, using 10 quarts of water and cooking for an hour?
Cheryl
October 15, 2017
It's hard to remember. I probably looked up how many chickpeas a pound dried makes: One pound dried chickpeas = 6 cups fully cooked and drained chickpeas, and then did looked at the can to determine how many cups. Correct, omit step 1--but definitely get that rosemary in there, even if you have to simmer the water/broth with it for a while. I would not use the full 10 cups; you may have to play with that (maybe start with 5-6 cups?) and add more as desired as you get closer to the end. Also add in that oil from step 1. Beans will go in closer to the end so they don't get mushy, but cooking them an extra bit so they are not hard is good. The recipe is forgiving.
Cheryl
January 7, 2017
I have made this many times and it's always delicious. I had homemade vegetable broth on hand so I used that yesterday. I do not add the grains. Love this soup!
Josie M.
January 24, 2015
I added a little sausage and some chicken stock and this was delicious with a bit of sriracha. Used Swiss chard instead of kale, too. We couldn't stop eating it.
Evie S.
April 4, 2014
In my experience, dried soaked beans cook faster without added salt. I add salt once they are tender.
Naila
March 6, 2014
A good advice whenever cooking beans, vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli is to use 1/8 tea spoon of asafetida. You can purchase it at any Indian grocery store. I keep mine in two Ziploc bags, away from the kitchen as at first it has a strong smell. But it's the best thing to use for legumes, and vegetables. Use it while cooking, it never leaves any taste or smell behind, so not to worry.
Horto
February 21, 2014
step 5 confuses me, am I alone? so many pots!
I am making this now, adding hot dogs!
I am making this now, adding hot dogs!
nola_t
December 19, 2013
This is hands-down one of my favorite soups to freeze and take to work. It has a great balance of protein, fiber and vegetables, so I can make it all the way to dinner without getting hangry. I've never bothered to cook the kale separately, though I suspect that the Italians would frown on this. The flavors may end up a bit "muddier" if you don't cook the kale separately, but I don't mind it in the least. I've also successfully substituted collard greens for the kale-they hold up equally well in the reheating process.
In making this several times, I've learned that you absolutely need to salt it heavily from the beginning and at every step of the way (salt the beans at the beginning, despite what you may have been told, slat your barley/farro water, salt the veggies as they saute, etc.) Because there's no stock t add some complexity, the salt is a really critical ingredient and adding it at the end won't achieve the same results. If you're worried about salt levels, subbing out chicken or veggie stock for some of the water may help. I also like to add some extra onions, garlic & tomatoes. I add some homemade chili oil to each bowl to taste, which helps to bring all the flavors together and adds an extra layer of depth. I've also added a generous spoonful of harissa at the table, which took the flavors in a whole different (but delicious!) direction.
In making this several times, I've learned that you absolutely need to salt it heavily from the beginning and at every step of the way (salt the beans at the beginning, despite what you may have been told, slat your barley/farro water, salt the veggies as they saute, etc.) Because there's no stock t add some complexity, the salt is a really critical ingredient and adding it at the end won't achieve the same results. If you're worried about salt levels, subbing out chicken or veggie stock for some of the water may help. I also like to add some extra onions, garlic & tomatoes. I add some homemade chili oil to each bowl to taste, which helps to bring all the flavors together and adds an extra layer of depth. I've also added a generous spoonful of harissa at the table, which took the flavors in a whole different (but delicious!) direction.
Lori
November 21, 2013
I also added the kale directly to the soup to cut down on clean-up. I added some red pepper flakes and a bit of tomato paste to make the flavor a little bolder. I also added some red wine vinegar at the end for a little acidity. I thought this was a great fall soup and I did put some single servings in the freezer and there was no difference in taste after freezing so I will definitely make this through the winter.
queenofcashmere
October 8, 2013
I made this with vegetable broth instead of water and added a Parmesan rind, to boot. It was meh. I added more salt and then some more. If served a blow of this, Oliver Twist would never have asked for more. Very disappointing.
Emilia R.
October 8, 2013
I have a problem when people so discourteously express themselves simply because they didn't like a recipe. I try to imagine how they'd react on a really stressing situation--scary! Very, very bad manners... ;-P
1cup
October 16, 2013
Why is it bad manners to say one doesn't like a recipe because it was bland? Is it bad manners not to like something or to say so publicly when it is in a public forum?
Emilia R.
May 22, 2013
Oh, I so want to try this! Can't wait for winter to come back--not that the heat is really in, but, well, winter is a good excuse for this soup. I'll add some meat with bone to make it really filling. Thanks for the great recipe!
denise&food
May 8, 2013
Made this yesterday and it is delicious. The only change I made was using spinach instead of kale and added it to the finished soup. Very hearty vegetarian soup. And extremely economical!
catydid
February 5, 2013
To answer Miche's question, I put the chopped Kale directly into the simmering beans for a bit before adding the tomato/carrot/onion mixture. So no extra blanching step. Worked great. Fabulous soup, thanks!!!
Alex R.
February 4, 2013
Nice dish, thanks for sharing. Barley & farro are very delicious additions. Found the process of making the soup a little cumbersome - would be nice to streamline it a bit (I did use the kale cooking liquid for grains at least). I used a pressure cooker on the beans, which was fast but meant that I didn't have all the cooking liquid I needed - ended up adding water in at the end. Still tasted pretty good though next time hope to figure out a better way.
Served with some Sriracha and a squeeze of lemon. Quite nice. Will add some sausage to the next bowl!
Served with some Sriracha and a squeeze of lemon. Quite nice. Will add some sausage to the next bowl!
Daria F.
January 24, 2013
We ate most of it and froze the rest. Its very good! My husband normally likes having some sort of meat in his meal, but he enjoyed this one a lot!
Jenny O.
January 20, 2013
Do you freeze the fully assembled soup? If so, how does the reheat affect the texture of the kale/grains? If not, in what form should the soup be frozen?
Pamela731
January 20, 2013
This sounds fantastic. I'm trying to find hearty-healthy recipes and soups are always a favorite to make. Thanks
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