Lentil Barley Soup

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 cup lentils, rinsed
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1/2 cup hulled barley or 1/2 cup pearl barley
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 6 cups water or 6 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 2 -4 cups fresh spinach (optional)

Recipe

• 1 place all ingredients except salt into a large pot and bring to a simmer.
• 2 cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and barley are tender, about 1 hour.
• 3 add salt to taste and spinach, if desired.
• 4 cook briefly until spinach is wilted but still bright green.
• 5 this soup can also be prepared in a crockpot. if you start with boiling water it will cook in 1 to 2 hours; with cold water, 5 to 6 hours.
• 6 to cook in a pressure cooker, put all ingredients except salt and spinach into cooker and bring it to high pressure.
• 7 cook at high pressure for 12 minutes; then bring pressure down with a quick-release method. lentils should be cooked, but barley may not be completely tender.
• 8 cook until barley reaches the desired state of tenderness, about 15 minutes, adding water if a thinner consistency is needed. then add salt and spinach, if desired.
• 9 cook briefly until spinach is wilted but still bright green.