Serve this hearty, chunky soup with hot cheese scones or cheesy rolls.
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 large leek, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 x 400 gram tin crushed Italian tomatoes
5 cups vegetable stock
½ cup pearl barley, rinsed and drained
4 stalks silverbeet
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
handful soft herbs, any combination of flat-leaf parsley, mint, basil, dill, all roughly chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
To serve
Parmesan cheese
good extra virgin olive oil
METHOD
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Cook the onion, leek, carrot, garlic, rosemary and cumin with a good pinch of salt over a medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stock and pearl barley and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the barley is tender. It will still have a chewy texture when cooked.
Trim off the tough stalks of the silverbeet and slice thinly. Add to the soup and simmer until tender. Add the spring onions and herbs. Season.
To serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with grated Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil. Makes about 8 cups.

Keep up to date with
dish weekly recipes,
food news, and events.
latest issue:
Issue #120
As the days become shorter, and the nights cooler, the latest issue is perfectly timed to deliver delicious autumn dishes. From recipes using fresh seasonal produce such as feijoas and apples, to spectacular soothing soups and super-quick after-work meals in our Food Fast section, we’ve got you covered. With Easter on the horizon, we feature recipes that will see you through breakfast, lunch and dinner over a leisurely weekend holiday, and whip up chocolatey baking treats sure to please. We round up delicious dinners for two and showcase a hot new Korean cookbook before heading south to Dunedin to check out all that’s new in food and dining.The latest issue of dish is on sale NOW at all good bookstores and supermarkets – don’t miss it!