Ingredients
Scale
- 2 Tablespoons good quality olive oil
- 1 cup carrots, diced (1 large or 2 small)
- 1 cup onion, diced (1 small)
- 1 cup celery, chopped (2 stalks)
- 1 small zucchini, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 64 oz. vegetable stock (about 1 1/2 boxes or homemade)
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (preferably no salt)
- 3/4 cup small pearl barley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup parsley (stems included)
- 3–4 cups fresh spinach, chopped
- 1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and thoroughly rinsed
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Crumbled Feta cheese for topping before serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the carrots, onion and celery and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute another minute more. Add the zucchini.
- Stir in the vegetable broth, tomatoes, barley, oregano, thyme, bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste. This will depend on if your veg broth is low sodium as well as the diced tomatoes.
- Stir to combine and lay the parsley on top of the soup. Bring it just to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove the parsley and bay leaf.
- Stir in the lemon juice and spinach.
- Cook for another 10 minutes or until the spinach is wilted and the barley is soft.
