Comforting (Vegetarian) Barley Stew

I have a cold. And when I have a cold, I want soup. Here’s a simple, delicious, comforting soup recipe I whipped up yesterday. It comes from the December 2009 issue of Bon Appetit in their “Fast Easy Fresh” section. I served it last night with hunks of the most wonderful bread ever. (More on Charlotte's Super Bread later, when I track down some details...)

Barley Stew with Leeks, Mushrooms and Greens
Slightly adapted from Bon Appetit, December 2009 issue

Olive oil
1 bunch of leeks, white and pale green parts, chopped
2 containers of sliced baby bella or cremini mushrooms
6 garlic cloves, pressed
A couple stalks of fresh rosemary, pulled off the stalk and minced
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes in juice
1 cup of pearl barley (found by the dried beans in any supermarket)
4-6 cups of vegetable broth
2 bunches of kale, trimmed, center stalk removed b/c it’s really tough, leaves torn into smaller pieces
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Sauté the leeks until softened. Add mushrooms, garlic, and rosemary, increase heat to medium-high until mushrooms soften and brown a bit. Add tomatoes (and juice) from the can. Then add barley and 4 cups of broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and lower heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes, or until barley is cooked (it will look puffed up and moist). Then you’ll add the kale, (which will fill the pot!) and cover again until the kale is wilted, just a minute or two. You may need to add another cup or two of broth at this point, so the moisture wilts the kale, and the soup is desired consistency.

Here’s the pictorial version for those who want to see the soup made step by step…

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Sauté the leeks until softened.

Add mushrooms, garlic, and rosemary. Stir everything, and increase heat to medium-high until mushrooms soften and brown a bit.

Add tomatoes (and juice) from the can. Then add barley...

...and 4 cups of broth.

Bring to a boil, then cover and lower heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes, or until barley is cooked (it will look puffed up and moist, as in photo above).

Last step, you add the kale (which will fill the pot!). Stir the soup a bit, and then cover the pot again to wilt the kale. It will just take a minute or two. Note that you may need to add another cup or two of broth at this point (especially if, like me, you added a LOT of kale). The warm broth will wilt the kale, and the soup can be made desired consistency by adding more broth.

This soup is delicious with the earthiness of the rosemary and mushrooms. It will keep for a couple of days, covered in the fridge, and you can simply heat up individual portions.