How to Make Homemade Tomato Barley Soup

Fresh or canned tomatoes paired up with barley and basil make a hearty, healthy soup.

Tomato soup is a household staple, but once you've tried homemade tomato barley soup -- made with chunky tomatoes, rich broth, and chewy whole barley -- the basic version just won't suffice. This healthy dish marries the tomato's cancer-preventing and antioxidant properties with barley's own antioxidants, high fiber content and ability to help lower cholesterol and melds them into a basil-laced soup. Served as a stand-alone meal or with a green salad and bread, this low-fat soup pleases young and old alike.

Things You'll Need

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic, crushed (or 1/4 to 1/2 dried minced garlic)
• 2 quarts (64 oz) chopped tomatoes, undrained
• 1 quart water
• 4 beef bouillon cubes
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup hulled or pearl barley
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 cups milk
• Large pan or slow cooker

Instructions

1. Mince one large onion and 1 to 2 cloves of garlic (if using dried minced garlic, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons). Put the onions, garlic, and 2 quarts of chopped tomatoes -- including the juice if using canned tomatoes -- in the pan or slow cooker. Add 1 quart water.

2. Crumble 4 beef bouillon cubes into the pan or slow cooker. Crush 1 teaspoon dried basil between your fingers and add to the soup, along with 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Measure 1/2 cup hulled or pearl barley and stir it into the tomato mixture.

3. Simmer 4 to 5 hours in a slow cooker, stirring occasionally until the onions and barley are tender. Mix 3 tablespoons cornstarch into 2 cups cold milk. Add this mixture to the soup, stirring as you pour it in.

4. Heat the soup until it is hot again and has thickened. Add salt to taste, if desired, and serve hot with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Refrigerate leftovers, which will keep for up to a week.

Tips & Warnings

• Serve this soup with French bread or garlic toast and a fresh green salad.

• Use half-and-half or cream instead of milk for an extra-rich and creamy soup. Allow to simmer approximately 1 hour or until the barley is tender (if cooking the soup on a stovetop.) Achieve the best results by simmering rather than boiling if these ingredients are included.

• Stir more frequently if cooking tomato barley soup on a stovetop, as the barley has a tendency to sink to the bottom and could scorch.

References

• Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes: Tomato Barley Soup
• Grain Information --Amaranth, Barley, Buckwheat, Corn, Flax, Kamut, Millet, oats, Popcorn, Quinoa, Rice, Rye, Spelt Triticale
• Tomato Nutrition Facts
• Tomato Facts - Information on Tomatos
• Barley

Resources

• Recipes for Diabetics - Tomato and Barley Soup / Diabetes Signs Symptoms