Tomato Vegetable Bean Soup

Tomato Vegetable Bean Soup

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion (chopped)
  • 3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
  • 3 medium carrots (sliced)
  • 3 stalks celery (sliced)
  • 2 medium potatoes (diced)
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 4 cups water
  • 3 tomatoes (peeled and sliced)
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 2-15oz can red beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 1/2 cup barley (dry)
  • Few shakes of dry bay leaves
  • Few shakes of dried parsley
  • Few shakes of cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt (and some more for taste)
  • Liberal use of ground black peppercorn
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

  1. In a large soup pot or cauldron, heat oil on medium high. When warm, add onions and garlic, cook till translucent, 5-8 minutes.
  2. Add carrots, celery, potatoes, oregano and basil. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
  3. Add broth and water, tomatoes, corn, beans, barley, bay leaves, parsley, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil.
  4. Reduce heat to low and add lemon juice. Cook for another 2 hours.
  5. Serve with some fresh artisan bread.

Inspired by

I based the recipe off of this. I changed a few things, and I was not all too precise on others. The original recipe had less beans, and no barley or cayenne pepper.

Closing

Awww so so good! Today, was a cold and rainy autumn day and this was great! However, others felt it had a little too much heat, due to the cayenne pepper. Interestingly enough, this tasted much like minestrone, unintentionally. I actually peeled the tomatoes this time around before adding them to the soup. I went all out and also baked some bread, it was a splendid compliment to this meal.

Moving forward, I think I will try to add barley to most soups that I make. I really like pasta, but they tend to bloat, but barley, yes, barley is a great alternative!

Enjoy the steamy bowl….. with the bread!