Northern Italy Barley & Cranberry Stew
Make it stand out
Ingredients
4 tablespoons water, broth or extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium-to-large yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
2 carrots, scrubbed clean, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
10 oz chopped mushrooms (your favorite kind)
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 can (15 ounces) crushed or petite diced tomatoes
4 cups vegetable broth
3 cups cooked cranberry beans or sub cannellini, great northern beans or chickpeas. If using canned, rinse and drain.
1 cup barley
2 cups chopped spinach, Tuscan kale (tough ribs removed first) chopped
¼ cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about ½ medium lemon)
Instructions
In a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat, warm 3 tablespoons of the water, broth or olive oil. Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and about ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened and the onions are turning translucent, about 6 to 10 minutes.
Add chopped mushrooms cooking down until they begin to release their juices.
Add the garlic and tomato paste, cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, stir, and cook until the tomatoes are bubbling. Add the broth and barley.
Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, and reducing the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. You may need to add additional broth or water. At 30 minutes check to see if barley is done, it will be chewy.
Once the barley is cooked, add the cooked beans, spinach and parsley to the simmering soup. Turn the burner off and taste and season.
Stir in the lemon juice. Taste and season with more salt (I usually add another ¼ teaspoon) and pepper until the flavors really sing.
Leftovers taste even better the next day. Allow leftover soup to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. You can freeze this soup yet it may change the consistency of the barley.