This soup is filling, full of protein, low fat and even has turmeric. The soup is hearty because it contains barley, a natural thickener that is much healthier than cream. Barley is good for you because it is relatively high in calcium, vitamin C, fiber, has zero cholesterol and is low in fat. Not only does it have no cholesterol but it aids in lowering cholesterol. Compare that to other thickeners such as cream! The reason turmeric is very good for you is that it contains curcumin, which reduces blood vessel inflammation. For other benefits of curcumin I recommend reading one of my favorite health books Eat to Beat Disease by Dr. Li.
We love this soup especially when it's cold outside. It warms the heart. Enjoy
“Anyone who’s trying to manage inflammation could benefit from adding some turmeric to their foods.” –Johns Hopkins Medicine
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Equipment and Tools
Food processor (optional) - I use a food processor to chop the onion. If you opt for a food processor I recommend the Braun brand; I've owned mine for over 15 years.
Instant pot - I use the Instant Pot brand. My Instant pot is and older version of this pot here, which is very affordable. I use my instant pot an average of six times a month.
Electric pot (optional) - Everyone. Everyone. Everyone in Europe has an electric pot. They are such time savers for boiling or heating up water. Here is an example of one so you know what to look for when shopping for one yourself. This one is very pretty but a little heavier and this one is lighter so it's easier to lift.
Tips
Bean selection - Most white beans work well in this soup. I usually use navy beans, sometime in combination with great white beans. Make sure to purchase dry beans and not canned.
Onion - Yellow or white have an abundance of flavor. Use a food processor to save time but be careful not to chop it too fine.
Soup flavoring - For vegetarians I recommend this consomme soup and seasoning mix, which does not contain meat or dairy!
Budget friendly tip - Although you can use chicken stock or vegetable stock for the liquid in this soup I recommend using this soup and seasoning mix. One container is equivalent to 67 cups of soup stock! Not only is it less expensive it is also better for the environment. Note that if you do use stock for some of the liquid in the soup lower the salt amount.
Instant pot note - the reason we do not recommend filling the water to the top of the pot is that this soup contains turmeric and it stains. If you were to fill up the whole pot with soup contents and water then it would take a very long time to depressurize. If you were to depressurize manually right away the steam would come out and stain your beautiful ceilings and perhaps your white cabinets.. speaking from experience :-(
Time Saving Tips
Skip sautéing the onion - some flavor will be lost but taste will still be good; in this case you may want to add more seasoning, such as Trader Joe every day seasoning, to enhance flavor
Gather up the Seasoning Mix ingredients in advance and store in small covered glass container
Instant pot - to save time you can release pressure manually. Be aware that very hot steam may come out and it can also stain the ceiling
Water addition to soup - If you have an electric pot heat it up to max allowed and add to instant pot in step #10
Steps - Both the beans and the barley may remain in the instant pot for a couple of hours after they are cooked. That is why this soup is great for time management. The finished soup may also be left on the instant pot slow cook mode for hours.
Meal Planning Tips
This soup freezes well. To make it more interesting when reheating try adding spinach, asparagus or a different fresh herb.
Recipe for Hearty Vegetarian Bean and Barley Soup
1: Ingredients
Main Ingredients
1 cup dry white beans
1 large yellow or white onion
¾ cup barley
2 carrots
Chopped green onion or spinach for garnish (optional)
Seasoning Mix
2½ tsp consomme soup and seasoning mix, see tip
1¼ tsp salt
2 bay leaves
½ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp Trader Joe every day seasoning - optional
¼ tsp black pepper (or amount per taste)
Fresh parsley, spinach, or chives - optional
2: Directions
Sort beans to remove any stones (rare) and rinse
Put beans in instant pot with 6 cups of water and cook on high pressure for 50 minutes
Chop onion in food processor
Sauté onion until golden brown
Sort and rinse barley
Wash and cut carrots
When beans are finished cooking release the pressure or let stand for as long as convenient for you to naturally release the pressure
Add barley, onion, carrots and seasoning mix. Readjust seal and cook for 15 minutes on high pressure
Let stand for 30 minutes or more to naturally release pressure, see time saving tips
Add 10 cups of water, press the sauté button and once the soup reaches a boil simmer without lid for 5 minutes, see time saving tips
(Readjust seal and then set on slow cook mode until you are ready to eat)
Add fresh pepper and TJ everyday seasoning per your taste
3: Mix it up
Add garlic to the soup when adding the chopped onion
4: Serving suggestion
Pour hot soup over raw washed spinach. This will wilt the spinach slightly and cool the soup just a bit. Spinach is a great addition especially for vegans and vegetarians because it contains iron. Add fresh herbs such as parsley and/or chives. Great with a baguette or this bread
5: Storage
After soup cools move to storage container and put in refrigerator. Depending on your refrigerator temperature this soup is good for about 5 days. Reheat carefully on stove top if serving size is two or more, or microwave for one serving.
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