Winter Barley Soup

Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

½ cup chopped onions
½ cup chopped leeks
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped carrots
¼ cup butter
1 small ham hock (optional)
6 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
⅖ cup pearl barley
4 sprigs fresh parsley
¾ teaspoon dried thyme
¾ teaspoon dried marjoram
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 cup heavy cream (skim milk may be substituted)

Directions:

In a large soup pot, sauté onion, leeks, celery, and carrots in butter for about 10 minutes. Add the broth, (ham hock) and pearl barley. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer. Place the parsley, thyme, and marjoram in a cheese cloth bag. Add to soup and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour. Add the diced potato and simmer 1 hour more. Remove the bouquet garni (and ham hock if used). Add the cream or milk. Correct the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley. (Chef’s note: this is a delicious and rich soup without the ham and cream. The recipe is easily expanded for a larger crowd.)

Adapted from The St. Louis Herb Society Cookbook, third edition, The St. Louis Herb Society, 1994, page 125.
This recipe was featured in the November-December 2023 issue of the Society’s newsletter The Thymes.
To obtain a copy of this recipe click on Winter Barley Soup

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