Lentil Barley Stew

Last week, I was going through my recipe box looking for an old recipe to ‘veganize’, when I ran into a Hamburger Soup recipe from an old friend. It’s from about 15 years ago when she and I took my youngest daughter to the Laurentian mountains to visit my grandma.

The recipe is written on my grandma’s note paper. At the top, scrawled in pencil, is her handwritten grocery list. She would be 103 years old now. She passed away 11 years ago at 92. It’s so lovely to run into old notes that bring back good memories. I recreated this recipe using plant-based options and made it Lentil Barley Stew. There is just something about barley that always reminds me of this soup. I find this grain especially comforting and warming… kind of like memories of being with Grandma Katie, an old friend and my baby … Frick, where does the time go?

Life has changed so much since then. Our little girl is almost 16 and her sister is almost 19. Beef hasn’t been in our diet for at least 12 years and I’m proud to say that plant proteins have taken over the animal protein part of our diet. I feel happier, healthier and kinder, and that feels good.

This little munchkin (and her sister) are thriving, and she is deeply interested in food and its effect on the body. In fact, she just told me last night she might be interested in a career as a plant-based dietician! Be still my beating heart, two daughters in the healthcare field! 😉

Now, onto the Lentil Barley Stew recipe. I made mine on the stove in a large pot. It simmered for about 2 hours, so if you don’t have time, you can always use an Instant Pot and follow the instructions for soup. You can also throw the ingredients all in a slow cooker and set it to be ready for when you want to eat.

Of course, feel free to switch out or add vegetables based on what you have in your fridge. Variety is the spice of life after all!

Lentil Barley Stew

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Serves: 8 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 2 hours 2 hours

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried French Lentils or brown lentils
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup carrots (~ 5 small), chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 8 cups vegetable broth, add 2 more cups if you like more of a soup and less of a stew
• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups cauliflower florets, in bite sized pieces, (add the second hour)
• 10 pieces of snack pack seaweed, crushed (optional)
• 1/2 cup dry barley
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 2 teaspoons thyme
• 2 teaspoons basil
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon chile flakes (optional if you like a bit of heat)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked (or regular) paprika
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

1. Saute onion, celery and garlic for a few minutes until translucent.  Using a small amount of water or vegetable broth to moisten the pan. 
2. Rinse and strain the lentils looking for any foreign pieces to remove.
3. Add the remaining ingredients (other than the cauliflower) to the pot and cook for one hour on a simmer.
4. After one hour, add the cauliflower florets.  
5. Taste and add more spices if you feel it is necessary. 
6. Simmer for one more hour.
7. Serve piping hot with a slice of bread or side salad. 

 

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