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SERVES:
4-6

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large leek, chopped, rinsed and well drained (about 2 cups) see hints below


• 1/2 cup diced peeled carrots


• 1/2 cup diced celery


• 1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced


• Olive oil for sautéing veggies


• 3 Portobello mushrooms, chopped


• 1 Tbs fresh chopped thyme


• 1/3 cup pearl barley


• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth


• 1 cup water (or more as needed as soup simmers)


• Salt and pepper to taste

PROCEDURE:

Add a good splash of olive oil to a heavy bottomed soup pot on medium high heat and add about 2 cups of chopped, rinsed and well drained leeks, 1/2 cup each diced peeled carrot and diced celery and 1 large minced clove of garlic and get those going.

Once those veggies have softened up, add 3 chopped Portobello mushrooms and 1 Tbs fresh chopped thyme and cook those along until the mushrooms cook down and soften up.

And then, at that point, add 1/3 cup barley......stir that in......add 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth and 1 cup of water and bring it up to a simmer.

Let that gently simmer along for 40-45 minutes until the barley is cooked and then season it with salt and pepper to taste and it is good to go.

HINTS:

Leeks tend to have a bit of sand in them so they need to be rinsed really well after chopping and, although you usually use just the white part, it's fine to use the softer, inner parts of the green top as well.