A hearty winter soup that is great served with a dense rye bread or crusty sourdough.
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 parsnip, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon fennel seeds or ground fennel
pinch chilli flakes
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 x 400 gram tin crushed Italian tomatoes
½ cup pearl barley
500 grams crown pumpkin, peeled and diced 2 cm pieces
2 handfuls baby spinach
zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup pesto
Parmesan for grating
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
METHOD
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, carrot, parsnip, garlic, fennel and chilli flakes with a good pinch of salt. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft. Add the stock, tomatoes, barley and pumpkin and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil then simmer for 25 minutes until the barley is tender. Stir in the spinach, lemon zest and juice.
To serve: Ladle the soup into warm bowl and top with a spoonful of pesto and shaved Parmesan.
Pantry note: Pesto is available in the chilled section of the supermarket.
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Issue #115
Issue 115 is packed with inspiration for all kinds of cosy meals – whether you’re dining alone, as two or with a few. We start with our Plating Game interview with Jesse Mulligan which inspired a medley of curries and sides then move on to a round up of easy one-pan chicken dishes, a variety of pasta bakes and meatballs, and using one simple yet delicious tart base we whip up five fab filling options. Sarah’s wintry faves include a moreish chorizo (not) carbonara, lamb and spinach filo pie and we finish off with sweet treats and decadent puds. We love seeing what you create, don’t forget to share your dish dishes with our Facebook community. When it comes to winter cooking, make it SIMPLY YUM!