This barley and lentil soup is a very hearty soup. It’s great for those chilly days and we used ingredients inspired by the Bible. Genesis 25:34 says: “Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.”
Barley & Lentil Soup has a rich ancient history. Red lentils are primarily used in Middle Eastern cooking, but we are using brown lentils since they’re easily found at our local grocery store. In ancient times, barley and lentil soup was a common food often eaten by the working classsince these were common crops. It’s also prevalent in Persia, and has Roman and Jewish ties as well. Scotland has Scotch Broth which has barley, lentils and vegetables much like the soup we are making today.
There’s so many different versions of this delicious soup, using an array of vegetables and spices, depending upon the region and culture where it’s made. I found reading about this soup to be quite interesting!!
Let’s get started!
In a pot, toss in onion, celery and carrot. Season with salt and pepper.
Add a splash of olive oil and water. Season with lemon zest and paprika. You could also use sumac instead.
Cook until onion is tender. Add barley. Add 1 cup water. Cook 10 minutes.
I always soak my potato in water for 20 minutes. Then I switch the water twice. I add lentils and let sit until I’m ready to add to the soup. Add potato and lentils along with water.
Add enough water to cover the veggies. Add bay leaf.
Cook 45 minutes, covered or until barley and lentils are cooked.
This soup is more like a stew — it’s very hearty!!
We had our soup with unleavened bread — yum!!
Barley Lentil Soup
1 small onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 tsp salt
Sprinkle pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
Zest of one lemon
1/2 tsp paprika
1/3 cup pearl barley
6 to 8 cups water or vegetable broth
2 potatoes, diced
2/3 cup lentils
1 bay leaf
In a pot, toss in onion, celery and carrot. Season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of olive oil and water. Season with lemon zest and paprika. You could also use sumac instead. Cook until onion is tender. Add barley. Add 1 cup water. Cook 10 minutes. Add potato and lentils along with water. Add enough water to cover veggies. Add bay leaf. Cook 45 minutes, covered.
This soup is so much better the next day! I heated it in a pot with some extra water. We divided into our bowls and ate it with soda crackers and shredded cheese. It’s super delicious!
