Barley-Chickpea Soup

If you live in Melbourne, you'll agree that the past week has just been freezing. So, what do you do when life gives you chilly weather? You make soup of course. This recipe was the result of having left over ingredients in my fridge and my stubborn refusal to eat them on their own. It may not be the best soup in the world, but it was quick, easy and most importantly warming.



Chickpea-Barley Tomato soup

Dice garlic and fry with cumin (or any other herbs you might prefer).

Add a shot of balsamic vinegar

Pour in a can of dice tomatoes and heat through.

Throw in chick peas and barley (Just keep adding until you feel there's enough).

Add in a can of water.

Simmer (and add in more water as needed).

Serve with thick crusty bread (or in my case, cornbread).

Liquid Comfort

On cold rainy days where all you want is to stay in bed and nap, the perfect cure to chase away the lethargy is a warm bowl of soup. Bonus points if it's simple. And in this case, accidentally vegan as well, but don't tell anyone. Top it off with some cornbread and you have a great pick-me-up meal.


Roasted Tomato Soup

Real cooks out there will likely gasp, but this soup can probably double up as tomato sauce, especially if you're like me, and didn't puree it completely smooth or thin it down. Simply bulk it up with some veggies and you're good to go.

1kg tomatoes, halved
1 bulb of garlic, halved horizontally
1 red onion, peeled and quartered
1 tablespoon sugar
Fresh thyme
salt & pepper to taste
Stock (optional)
Cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 190C.

Place tomatoes, garlic, onion and thyme into a roasting pan. Add sugar and drizzle with oil.

Roast in the oven for 40mins or so. Remove and allow to cool.

Squish garlic out of their skins and pour roasted mixture into a blender/food processor.

Pulse until smooth.

Serve up and slurp down.

Notes:
If you prefer a thinner soup, add some stock or cream till a desired consistency.
If the soup is too acidic, try adding sugar or a shot of red wine/sherry, just enough to take the edge off.