Vegetable Barley Soup

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion (chopped)
• 3 ribs celery (chopped)
• 3 carrots (sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds or half rounds if large)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 3/4 cup pearl barley (rinsed)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth (plus more as needed)
• 15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 pound Yukon gold potatoes (1-2 potatoes, chopped into 3/4-inch pieces)
• 3/4 cup frozen green beans

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or other large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, celery and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. 2

   Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

3. 3

   Stir in the barley, Italian seasoning, dried thyme, salt and pepper.

4. 4

   Add the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes and bay leaf. Stir to combine. Bring the pot to a simmer and then reduce the heat so that the soup maintains a low simmer and cover the pot.

5. 5

   Simmer the soup with the lid on for 25 minutes and then stir in the chopped potatoes. Cover the pot again and simmer the soup for 20-35 more minutes, until the barley is tender, adding the frozen green beans during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

6. 6

   Remove the bay leaf before serving.