Barley and Spring Onion Soup With Fava Beans
- Total Time
- 1 hour 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1pound spring onions
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter
- 1garlic clove, minced
- 1½quarts vegetable stock or chicken stock
- A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf, a few dried mushrooms or mushroom stems, a Parmesan rind and a couple of sprigs each thyme and parsley, all tied into a cheesecloth bag
- ½cup barley
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1pound fava beans, shelled and skinned
- 1 to 2tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, like parsley, tarragon, fresh thyme
- Rounds of baguette or slices of country bread, topped with Gruyère or Parmesan, then toasted until the cheese melts
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Preparation
- Step 1
Quarter the onions lengthwise (stem to root end), then slice thinly across the grain.
- Step 2
In a large, heavy soup pot heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until they have softened and begun to darken a little; do not let them brown. Add a pinch of salt, the stock and the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, add the barley, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 1 hour. Taste and adjust salt. Add freshly ground pepper.
- Step 3
Remove the bouquet garni and discard. Add the fava beans and continue to simmer for 5 to 8 minutes more. Stir in the herbs. Serve, topping each bowl with the cheese croutons.
- Advance preparation: The soup can be made through Step 2 several hours before serving. The barley will continue to swell, so you may want to add more stock when you serve it.
Private Notes
Comments
I opted for a vegan version so left out the parmesan rind from the bouquet garni, which would have given off more flavor but I adjusted with a bit more salt. My only regret is having used fresh tarragon at the end. It altered the taste significantly and I would have been better off with only a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil when serving, allowing the simple flavors of the onion and fava to come through. My recommendation is to use only a teaspoon of fresh herbs and taste before adding more.
I used almost 1 cup of farro instead of half cup of barley. It came out great and less than an hour. The fava beans were a big hit in the soup. I listened to the other review and didn't include the tarragon and thought at the most fresh parsley would do because the soup was already so delicious. Will make this again and again before the fava beans are out of season.
Delicious - add a bit of lemon juice at the end
At what point am I to add garlic? I assume after the onions?
Nothing on earth could make me want to cut a pound of spring onions like that, so I swapped for a pound of finely chopped leeks for a comparable flavor and texture, which turned out beautifully. Added sour cream and dill at the end for a bright garnish, highly recommend!
This was good, but I did make some modifications. I sautéed some mushrooms and put those in there, used cooked dried fava beans, and put some balsamic and wine vinegar in for a little acid. I also left out the parmesan as I am going more vegan these days. It was good! If I try again and keep more to the recipe I will update!
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