Barley Pinto Bean Soup

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Usually when I eat out and try something different, unique, refreshing and delicious , I cannot wait to try and recreate it. I might make some changes to the ingredients but usually aim to achieve the taste that I remember. For the first time, I faced somewhat of a reverse situation to the one above. I was at a restaurant and I saw a barley pinto bean soup mentioned on their menu.

I thought the soup sounded pretty neat,but when I tasted the soup it was a huge disappointment. It did not taste bad,don't get me wrong,it just tasted so bland and boring that by the time I was done with the bowl of soup I was already mentally recreating this soup the way I thought it would taste good.

And that is just what I did the next week, I made this soup with the main ingredients basil, barley and pinto beans just as the one in the restaurant, only I flavored the soup with spices that I thought would work well and it added far more flavor and taste to the soup. R and I both loved this soup a great deal, it was healthy, hearty and it seemed perfect for the long cold evenings that we face these days.




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Ingredients and method to make Barley Pinto Bean soup

3/4 cup pinto beans soaked overnight in sufficient water with a pinch of soda (the soda is optional)
1 large yellow onion cut fine
2 medium tomatoes cut fine
1 inch piece ginger minced
3/4 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 small bay leaves
3 stalks of celery cut into little pieces
2 large carrots cut into little pieces
1/2 cup pearl barley
salt to taste
1 1/4 tsp dried basil
1 tsp red chilli powder (or according to taste)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin powder
Approximately 6 cups of water (or vegetarian vegetable stock) (I used water)


Drain the soaked pinto beans and fill with fresh water. Either on a stove top or in a pressure cooker cook the beans until soft but not mushy.Keep aside

In a separate pot, cook the barley in sufficient water until soft. Or use the pressure cooker to cook barley too. Do not throw away the water in which the barley was cooked. Keep aside

I placed both the beans and barley in small containers and placed the containers in a pressure cooker and pressure cooked both of them until soft ( for me that took about 3 whistles)

In a large heavy bottomed pan, heat olive oil. Add onions to it and saute until onions are transparent.

Add the minced garlic and minced ginger and stir for about a minute.

Then add tomatoes and stir until tomatoes become soft and mushy.

Now add celery, carrots, bay leaves, dried basil, the other spices, salt to taste and water.

Let the vegetables cook until slightly soft, the add the cooked pinto beans, cooked barley. Adjust water if required and let it all simmer together for about 30 mins or so until all the flavors blend together.

Serve hot with bread of choice or crackers.

Serves about 3-4