SOUP-ER HEROES
ONE FOOD, FOUR WAYS | WINTER SOUPS
BARLEY AND BEAN
Don’t let this fibre-rich grain gather dust in your cupboard. It helps balance your gut bacteria and promotes good digestive health – crucial factors in firing up your metabolism and accelerating weight loss
INGREDIENTS
4 garlic cloves •2 onions • 1 celery stalk
• 2 carrots • 1 tsp oil
• 1 sprig of rosemary, leaves finely chopped
• 400g chopped tomatoes • 600ml
vegetable stock • 100g cooked pearl barley • 100g cooked
white beans •3 sprigs of fresh basil, leaves torn
METHOD
1 | First, dice the garlic, onion, celery and carrots. Heat a little oil in a saucepan, throw in your veg and sweat the lot for 5 mins until nice and tender.
2 | Add the rosemary and tomatoes and simmer for 5 mins.
3 | Pour in the vegetable stock, bring it back to a simmer, then add the pearl barley and beans.
4 | This one’s up to you – either blitz in a food processor for a smooth, thick soup, or leave as it is for a more rustic, chunky broth. Whichever route you choose, stir in some fresh basil to finish, then season and serve. A hearty winter lunch if ever there was one.
Barring mulled wine and a roaring log fire, there are few things finer than a warm bowl of soup on a nip-bitingly chilly day. While shop-bought versions can come packed with additives, and healthy varieties don’t come cheap, batch-cooking your own is a thoroughly good shout. Bring these recipes into rotation to wind down your spend while upping your veg intake all winter long