Vegetable soup recipe
You really can't beat a bowl of steaming veg-packed soup – perfect for warming you through on a chilly day. This simple homemade vegetable soup recipe is crammed with hearty pearl barley, carrots, celery, tomatoes, spinach, and topped with a dollop of pesto for a zesty finish.
See method- Serves 4
- 15 mins to prepare and 35 mins to cook
- 260 calories / serving
- Freezable
- Dairy-free
- Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 sticks celery, diced
- 1 tbsp picked thyme leaves
- 80g pearl barley
- 1 vegetable stock cube, made up to 900ml
- 100g broccoli florets, finely sliced
- 1 tomato, diced
- handful baby spinach leaves, chopped
- 4 tbsp pesto with fresh basil
- extra virgin olive oil
Each serving contains
- Energy
- 1085kJ 260.0kcal
- Fat
- 16g
- Saturates
- 3g
- Salt
- 2.5g
- Sugars
- 6g
of the Reference intake
Carbohydrate 25.4gProtein 4.9gFibre 3.7g
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick saucepan. Add the onion and cook until softened. Next add the carrot, garlic and celery and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the thyme leaves, pearl barley and vegetable stock and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the barley is tender. Add the broccoli and tomatoes, and cook for a further 5 minutes. Season to taste.
- To serve, stir through the spinach. Ladle into bowls and spoon some pesto over each one. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over each one and serve.
- See more Vegetable soup recipes
Freezing and defrosting guidelines
Make the soup, then leave to cool at room temperature. Freeze (without garnishes or toppings) in a rigid container, leaving a bit of space for expansion, for up to 1-3 months. Reheat either from frozen or defrost in the fridge overnight. Once piping hot, add toppings or garnishes and serve.
