Name: Swiss Barley Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 100g McKenzie's Australian Pearl Barley; 1 tbs olive oil; 2 rashers of streaky bacon, finely chopped; 2 onions, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 carrots, finely diced; 1/2 bunch curly leaf parsley, leaves and stalks separated and finely chopped; 300g potato, chopped into 1.5cm chunks; 300g pumpkin, chopped into 1.5cm chunks; 1l vegetable or chicken stock; 1 bay leaf; 1 apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped; 1 pear, cored and finely chopped; to taste, McKenzie's Australian Natural Sea Salt Large Grinder; to taste, McKenzie's Whole Black Peppercorn Large Grinder; 4 tsp cream, to serve (optional)

100g McKenzie's Australian Pearl Barley 1 tbs olive oil 2 rashers of streaky bacon, finely chopped 2 onions, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 carrots, finely diced 1/2 bunch curly leaf parsley, leaves and stalks separated and finely chopped 300g potato, chopped into 1.5cm chunks 300g pumpkin, chopped into 1.5cm chunks 1l vegetable or chicken stock 1 bay leaf 1 apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped 1 pear, cored and finely chopped to taste, McKenzie's Australian Natural Sea Salt Large Grinder to taste, McKenzie's Whole Black Peppercorn Large Grinder 4 tsp cream, to serve (optional)

Step 1

Place barley in a bowl, cover with water and leave to soak overnight or a minimum of 6 hours.

Step 2

In a pot, add oil and fry bacon until golden, then add onion, garlic, carrots and parsley stalks. Sauté on low heat for 12-15 minutes until soft and sticky.

Step 3

Add potatoes and pumpkin, stir for 1 minute, then add barley with soaking liquid, stock and bay leaf. Slowly bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are just cooked.

Step 4

Add the apple and pear and cook for a further 15-20 minutes until thickened. Stir in the parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, drizzle with cream just before serving.

Preparation time excludes pearl barley overnight soaking.

Swiss Barley Soup