Chickpea and Barley Soup

I more often make soup to use up what’s left in the pantry, refrigerator, or freezer than to test a new recipe. Recently, however, I was trying to tidy up some papers when I found a scribbled recipe for a bean and barley soup stuck between the last page and the back cover of a spiral notebook. There weren’t any notes with this recipe, and I had no memory of making it or where it came from, but the ingredient list was promising, and – bonus! - tweaking it just a bit would allow me to use up what was in the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer after all.

This soup is delicious and hearty. The chickpeas and barley give it heft, the fennel gives it a unique flavor that remains subtle and not overwhelming, and the tomatoes give it some zip and tang. I used fire roasted diced tomatoes, but you could make great soup with plain diced tomatoes.

I kept the flavorful liquid leftover from cooking the chickpeas, and used it for the majority of the liquid in the soup. I only had about 4 cups, so I added 2 cups of chicken broth, which was serving no other purpose languishing in the refrigerator, to make up the volume. You could use whatever you like for your soup liquid. A lighter flavored broth will allow the flavor of the fennel (enhanced a bit by some basil in the mix) to shine through, but if you had a stronger flavored broth like beef or mushroom stock on hand, those might be pretty darn good with the beans and barley as well.

You could also use different beans in this recipe. I think the original called for white beans, but I can’t be sure because all I scribbled on my notebook paper is “beans”. A softer bean would probably cook down more than the somewhat firm chickpeas, making a thicker soup. There are a lot of ways to go with this if you recognize it as a simple vegetable soup and add what you like. Or what you happen to have in your pantry, refrigerator, or freezer.

Chickpea and Barley Soup with Fennel and Tomatoes

You can use other beans, such as white beans or lentils, in place of the chickpeas if desired.

You can use any broth or bean cooking liquid for this soup. I used a combination of the chickpea cooking liquid and chicken broth.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 medium fennel bulb, finely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

5 medium cloves garlic, finely minced

1 ½ cup cooked chickpeas

6 cups broth or bean cooking liquid

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 15-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes (do not drain)

1 cup cooked pearled barley

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion and fennel are softened and translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.

2. Add the beans, broth, black pepper and basil. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook at a low boil for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

3. Stir in the tomatoes and barley. Cook at a low boil, uncovered for 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust as desired.

Makes 6-8 servings

Other recipes like this one: Lentil Soup with Winter Vegetables and Kale, White Bean Soup with Bacon, Squash and Kale, White Bean Soup with Fresh Herbs, Chickpea Stew with Dried Apricots  

Barley and Corn Casserole

I love perfect sweet corn eaten right off the cob, skipping the middle-man (silverware) and using only my teeth, as much as the next person. But there are so many tasty dishes that call for individual corn kernels that are even better when made with fresh corn. So, when the corn comes in I try to claim a few ears to use in a slightly more sophisticated and less primal application.

I’ve been waiting for the return of sweet corn season to use my golden nuggets in a simple but delicious casserole with barley and provolone cheese that I had tried and enjoyed sometime last year. I know that frozen corn would be good in this recipe, making it virtually season-less, but fresh corn can’t really be beat. With that in mind, I increased the corn to barley ratio and made it even tastier. I could also take advantage of locally-grown peppers and my own patio-grown herbs.

The hardest part of this entire dish is actually cutting the corn from the cobs, which has never been my favorite kitchen task. I find that I can control the corny chaos a bit more if I place the base of the corn cob on top of a small, upturned bowl that I put in the bottom of a large bowl (the largest bowl I have). This allows me to cut to the bottom of the ear and also keeps corn from flying all over the kitchen. (I think I got this idea from watching Rachel Ray. I didn’t come up with it on my own, anyway.)

Once the corn is cut from the cob, it’s sautéed with some onion and bell peppers, then mixed with cooked pearled barley and cubes of provolone cheese before it is baked in the oven. I happened to have green peppers on hand, but they were slightly bitter in the end product. I think that sweeter red, orange or yellow bell peppers would make a more flavorful (and more colorful) dish. I usually have a zip-top bag or two full of cooked grains in the freezer, and that’s what I used here. You could, of course, cook barley just for this dish, but I highly recommend getting ahead and cooking up a bunch of barley at one time, so it’s awaiting your pleasure.

I love the combination of textures from the corn and barley. The barley is chewy and nutty-tasting while the corn is sweet and juicy and pops just a bit between the teeth. The provolone melts into salty, cheesy pockets throughout the casserole. Some of it even got all toasty on the bottom and in the corners. You could use a different kind of cheese if you like. In fact, while you’re at it, you could change up the flavors of this simple hot dish pretty easily. For example, Montery Jack cheese, chile peppers, and some cumin and coriander or oregano could turn it into a little something with a Southwest flair. Whatever direction you decide to take this easy concoction, it’s well worth fighting all the corn-on-the-cob purists in your household for a couple of ears to strip.

Barley and Corn Casserole with Provolone
Adapted from a recipe in Cooking Light magazine

You could use frozen corn in this recipe, and it could probably be easily doubled.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears)
½ cup finely chopped bell pepper (green is okay, but other colors are sweeter)
1 cup cooked pearl barley
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
½ cup provolone cheese, cut into ¼ -inch cubes

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a small baking dish (I used a 1-quart dish) with cooking spray or brush it lightly with oil.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, corn and bell pepper. Cook about 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables are just beginning to brown. Stir in the barley, parsley and thyme. Cook about 1 minute more.

3. Remove from the heat and let stand a few minutes to cool slightly. Stir in the provolone cubes.

4. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake 5 minutes more.

Makes 2-4 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Quinoa and Spinach Casserole, Three Grain Salad with White Beans and Artichokes, Corn and Green Onion Tart with Bacon

One year ago: Mediterranean Vegetable and White Bean Salad

Grains and Vinaigrette

I’ve done this before, and I’ll probably do it again. I took a vinaigrette that I like on a green salad and poured it over some cooked and cooled whole grains and a few other compatible ingredients to make a different, heartier salad. This isn’t innovative or revolutionary. It is, however, convenient, especially if you happen to keep extra cooked whole grains in the freezer. It’s also nutritious, and, when you get the combinations right, delicious.

This time, I used up some of the Cranberry Vinaigrette I made recently over some cooked barley and wild rice. The Cranberry Vinaigrette recipe makes quite a bit, so this recipe was good for using some of it up. I also cooked up the last of a little bag of pearled barley that had been sitting in the cupboard since I don’t know when. Wild rice also sounded good here, and, as the flavors seemed to be taking on an autumnal theme, I added dried cranberries and pecans. For crunch, I threw in some celery, and for a salty, chewy contrast, I added some little cubes of provolone cheese. I really would have liked to have some green onions to go along, but I didn’t have any on hand. My herb garden is still alive on the patio, however, so I used fresh chives instead, and added some parsley as well.

See, improvising such a salad is really pretty simple, especially if you know of some ingredients, particularly seasonal ingredients, that have an affinity for each other. In this case, the sweet and tart cranberry dressing went well with the sweet, crunchy pecans, simple celery, and, of course, more cranberries. Just about any grains would have worked, but I probably would not have put in asparagus or tomatoes or peppers in the mix, because I just don’t think they would have worked flavor-wise or with the seasonal spin I was putting on this salad.

Well, whatever the theory behind this dish, it’s very good, and it’s a good jumping-off point for tasty combinations based on whatever you might have in your cupboard or refrigerator or freezer. While I ate it as part of a simple supper alongside some roasted root vegetables and winter squash I also think it would be a good accompaniment on a fall or winter feast table. Of course, you could start out thinking of making a salad something like this, but end up with something completely different…and at least as delicious.

Barley and Wild Rice Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette
You could make this salad vegan by leaving out the cheese, or add some beans to increase its protein content.

2 cups cooked barley
1 cup cooked wild rice
1 cup diced celery
½ cup dried cranberries, such as Craisins
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup cubed provolone cheese
¼ cup parsley
¼ cup chopped green onions or fresh chives
½ cup Cranberry Vinaigrette

1. Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Add the vinaigrette and stir until coated. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Makes 6-8 servings. Leftovers can be covered and kept refrigerated for at least a few days.

Other recipes like this one: Wheat Berry Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Maple Walnut Vinaigrette, Three Grain Salad with White Beans and Artichokes

One year ago: Pasta with White Beans and Pesto