This is a great year-round stew because it has fresh herbs and flavours while packing substantial protein and other essential nutrients. Lentils are one of the best vegetarian go-to foods when you need a healthy, filling legume for a dish, and barley pairs really nicely with it, giving a thick and “hearty” taste.

This was my first time cooking with barley and I’m already looking for more recipes to try out. I was initially going to make a mushroom barley soup, but my mushrooms were very sad-looking in the fridge so I used a recipe from my Canadian Living vegetarian cookbook instead. If you’re looking for a new cookbook, I’d seriously suggest trying this one out—I’ve never tried a bad recipe from it and everything looks amazing.

Before this stew, I didn’t know there were different kinds of barley. The two main kinds for cooking stews and soups are pearl and pot barley. From what I found, pot barley (which is what I used) still has its outer husk and its inner kernel. Pearl barley can be substituted and takes generally the same amount of cook time, but apparently it is a little less nutritious than pot barley.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp. dried thyme
• Pinch of paprika
• Pinch of turmeric
• 1/4 tsp. each salt and black pepper
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup green lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup pot barley
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Sour cream for garnish

Method

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Fry onion, garlic, carrot, celery, thyme, paprika, turmeric, salt and pepper for roughly 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and very lightly browned.

Add the vegetable broth plus an additional 2 cups of water, then add in lentils and barley—bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until lentils and barley are tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in parsley and serve hot with a dollop of sour cream in each serving.