The first soup of autumn? It's with barley and vegetables

With September, soups slowly return. In the first weeks between late summer and early autumn, the garden still offers tomatoes and zucchini, while potatoes, leeks, carrots, and the vegetables that will accompany the cold season are starting to take center stage again. It's the perfect time to prepare a seasonal barley soup, simple and hearty, to be enjoyed hot on the first cool evenings or just warm on the still-mild days.

Barley is one of the oldest cultivated grains. Barley soup is particularly tied to the tradition of Trentino-Alto Adige, where gerstensuppe is prepared in numerous variations with vegetables, potatoes, and often speck or smoked meat. For a lighter soup, perfect for early autumn, we can use seasonal vegetables, adding a few ripe tomatoes for a touch of color. Potatoes and barley naturally thicken the broth during cooking, while zucchini and carrots allow for a variety of colors and consistencies.

You can use pearl barley, which is convenient because it generally doesn't require soaking and requires shorter cooking times. Remember to always check the package directions: cooking times can vary significantly from one product to another. Why not use the soup as a tasty first course, prepared ahead of time? As it rests, barley soup tends to thicken because the barley continues to absorb the liquid. When reheating, simply add a little broth or two tablespoons of hot water.

Barley soup with seasonal vegetables

• 1.5 L of vegetable broth
• 300 g of ripe tomatoes
• 250 g of potatoes
• 200 g of zucchini
• 180 g pearl barley
• 150 g of carrots
• 100 g of leek
• 80 g of celery
• 30 g of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 sprig of rosemary or a few sprigs of thyme
• black pepper to taste
• sale q.b.
• To prepare seasonal barley soup, start with the vegetables. Wash the zucchini, carrots, celery, and tomatoes. Peel the potatoes and trim the leek. Dice the potatoes, zucchini, and carrots, slice the leek, and chop the celery. Finally, chop the tomatoes.
• Pour the extra virgin olive oil into a large saucepan and add the leek, celery, carrot, and garlic clove. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently and being careful not to over-brown the vegetables.
• Rinse the pearl barley under running water, drain well, and add it to the soffritto. Let it cook for a couple of minutes, stirring, then add the tomatoes and cook for a moment, until they begin to release their juices.
• Add the potatoes and pour in about 1.2 liters of hot vegetable broth. Add the rosemary or thyme, bring to a gentle boil, and cook over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• At this point, add the zucchini and continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes, or until the barley is tender but still firm. If the soup becomes too thick during cooking, gradually add the remaining broth.
• Remove the garlic and rosemary sprig, taste, and season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and let the barley soup rest for 5 minutes before serving: the short rest will allow the flavors to meld and the broth to become slightly creamier. You can garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and, if desired, a few fresh thyme leaves. Serve hot or warm.

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