Lentil-Barley-Tomato Soup

Although I was born in the former Soviet Union and grew up with Russian parents, I'm actually not a huge fan of most Russian food (in large part because most of it contains a lot of meat and dairy). There are, however, a few things about Russian cuisine that have stuck with me, one of them being a love for soups.

Soups are a big thing - it goes much farther than just some borsch every now and then. In Russia, lunch (which is the major meal of the day) will traditionally have 3 courses, and soup is the first one - analogous to pasta in Italy.

And the great thing about soups is that, because they're part water, they fill you up on less calories - not to mention the physical and emotional comfort that one gets from a hot bowl of soup on a cold day :)

The following recipe isn't Russian (quite the contrary, it's [a slight adaptation of a recipe] from a book called "The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen"), but it's the first of many, many soup recipes that you will find on this blog. (Indeed, not a week goes by in which I don't have at least 4-5 servings of soup... but I digress).

And now, without further ado:

Lentil-Barley-Tomato Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 oz (about 2 small) carrots, shredded
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 cups broth
1 cup water
1 cup lentils, rinsed
1/2 cup pot barley
1 (14oz) can whole tomatoes, drained, seeded, and coarsely chopped, juices reserved
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 large bay leaf
salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

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In a medium stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and garlic; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.

Add the broth, water, lentil, barley, tomatoes and their juices, thyme, bay leaf, and salt/pepper; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, partially covered, until the lentils and barley are tender, stirring occasionally, 50 to 60 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Serve hot.

Makes 4-5 main course servings.