Grandma Woodward's Barley Soup

Like a good many of Gran's recipes I suspect it originated in the Edmond's book. Or possibly they consulted her. On the rare occasions I cooked a winter lunch for the entire community at Centrepoint, this was usually it, in ten gallon quantities.

You will need

  • 500g approx Shin on the Bone
  • A handful of Pearl Barley
  • A half handful of yellow or green split peas, or mung beans or blackeye beans (the latter two my later experiments)
  • 250g Onion, coarsely chopped
  • 15g Butter
  • 1 medium-large Potato cut in 2cm dice
  • 1 Carrot, sliced julienne
  • 2 sticks Celery sliced in 2cm pieces
  • 1-2 Tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 200g Tomato Puree
  • 100g Kumara and/or Pumpkin cut in 2 cm dice
  • A handful of Parsley, chopped finely
  • A handful of chopped Silver Beet (Swiss Chard) or NZ Spinach
  • A cup or so of whatever else is in the chiller, as cauliflower or broccoli florets, sliced courgette, asparagus, green or broad beans, frozen peas. I've even tossed in some freeze-dried vegetables (Surprise Peas etc)
  • To Taste: Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper
  1. Trim the meat from the bone and cut into 2.5 cm dice.
  2. Melt the butter in a heavy base 2-3 quart saucepan and brown the meat. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent. (Add a clove or two of garlic if you like, but that's me, not Gran.)
  3. Add water to approximately half way up the pot.
  4. Add the bone and the barley and split peas. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 30 minutes.
  5. Add potato, carrot, celery, and cook another 10 minutes. If you have a little turnip or parsnip, that can go in here.
  6. Add remainder of ingredients. These should just about fill the pot. Note: Do not add the salt until very near the end. Cook until meat is tender. Remove bone and poke the marrow out into the soup with the handle of a teaspoon, an apostle spoon for proper adherence to tradition.
  7. Serve with brown bread toast (or toasted Vogels. Even Gran moved with the times.) A little grated cheese stirred into each dish will add a little further protein.

 

 

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