Vegetable, Barley and Lentil Soup (Everything But The Kitchen Sink!)

I love a good soup. Any time of year. My favorite thing about it is that you can make a huge batch of it and either freeze some for later on, or just eat it once or twice a day until it is gone. Also, soup is something you can usually alter quite a bit depending on who is going to be eating it. For example, this soup would probably be really good with shredded chicken or turkey. But alas, this is a vegetarian blog. 

Vegetable, Barley and Lentil Soup (Everything But The Kitchen Sink!)

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 small-medium onion diced

3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 can of petite diced tomatoes

1 ½- 2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 bunch kale, chopped

1 zucchini chopped

8 cups vegetable broth

1 cup lentils

½ cup barley

1 teaspoon Thyme

2 teaspoons Cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil up in a large pot 

(I use a 7 quart cast iron Dutch oven, and it is literally my favorite thing to cook in!)

Add in minced garlic and chopped onion, and cook until aromatic

Add in the rest of the ingredients and let cook on low-medium heat for 75 minutes. It may look watery at first but as time goes on, and the lentils and barley cook, the soup becomes quite thick!

And, voilà! The soup is done and ready to enjoy, preferably with a chunk of fresh bread. The prep time is next to nothing in this great dish, and while it is cooking allows for you to get other things done, like a good work out and a load of laundry, which is what I did! 

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