Barley and Spinach Soup

I can provide you with a recipe for a delicious Barley and Spinach Soup. It is a simple but nutritious dish, very popular in Northern Italy, especially in Trentino-South Tyrol. Perfect for colder days, but also great on warmer ones if you’re looking for a comforting meal. Here are the ingredients and instructions.

Ingredients

• 200 g of pearl barley
• 1 liter of vegetable or meat broth
• 300 g of fresh spinach
• 1 small onion
• 2 carrots
• 1 stalk of celery
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation

1. First, soak the pearl barley in cold water for at least one hour. This helps reduce cooking time and makes it more digestible.

2. In the meantime, prepare the vegetable broth or heat the one you have ready.

3. Peel and finely chop the onion. Wash, peel and chop the carrots into small cubes. Wash, clean and cut the celery into pieces.

4. In a large pot, heat two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and sauté the mixture of onion, carrots, and celery until the onion becomes translucent.

5. Drain the barley and add it to the pot, toasting it for a few minutes with the sauté.

6. Pour in the hot broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let cook for about 25-30 minutes, until the barley is almost done.

7. Clean the spinach, removing any roots and damaged leaves. Wash the leaves well and roughly chop them if they are very large.

8. When the barley is almost ready, add the spinach to the pot and let them cook together for another 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

9. Serve the soup hot, and if you like, you can sprinkle each dish with grated Parmesan cheese.

Curiosity

In Trentino and South Tyrol, it is customary to enrich this soup with diced speck, sautéed together with the onion, carrot, and celery, to give a smoky flavor and an extra touch of savoriness to the dish.