Barley and vegetable soup

Tasty, thick and nourishing.

This recipe contains barley, water, pancetta, prosciutto, vegetable stock, olive oil, carrots, celery, leeks, bay leaves, rosemary, black pepper, cheese (parmesan)

4 servings servings

Prep time: 30 min

Cook time: 30 min

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pearl barley
• 3 cups hot water
• 50g pancetta, thinly sliced
• 50g prosciutto, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 liters vegetable stock from 1 vegetable cube
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 1 leek, thinly sliced
• 1 bay leaf, dried or fresh
• 1 small sprig of rosemary, fresh
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• Grated Parmesan cheese or Grana Padano, for sprinkling

Instructions:

• 1. Place barley in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let it soak for 20-30 minutes. Drain and rinse.
• 2. Cook barley in hot vegetable stock over medium heat for 15 minutes.
• 3. Cut the sliced pancetta and prosciutto into thin sticks.
• 4. Add pancetta, prosciutto, olive oil, carrots, celery, leeks, bay leaf and rosemary to the vegetable stock with pearl barley.
• 5. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes, or until barley and vegetables are very tender. Season with pepper.
• 6. Serve soup with grated Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese.