| 1/2 cup | pearl barley |
| 1/2 cup | lentils (dried) |
| 1 | onion, chopped |
| 2 | celery or carrots, chopped (or both) |
| 3 cups | Fresh baby spinach |
| 2 cloves | garlic, minced |
| 1 1/2 tbsp | olive oil |
| 1 tsp | ground cumin |
| 3 cups | chicken broth |
| 2 cups | water |
| 1 1/4 cup | canned tomatoes (diced) |
| 1 pinch | salt |
| ground pepper to taste |
Directions
- Rinse and drain the lentils, then set aside.
- Chop the onion and celery or carrots; mince the garlic. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion then sauté 3-4 min until soft. Add the celery/carrots, then sauté 5 min with occasional stirring, until they are lightly browned. Add the garlic and stir 1 min, then add the cumin and stir 1 min. Pour in the broth, water and barley. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer 25 min.
- Stir in the tomatoes and lentils. Continue to simmer, covered, until the lentils and barley are tender, 25-30 min.
- Add the chard to the soup, cover and simmer until the chard is tender, about 5 min. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Thin the soup with more broth or water, if desired. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.
