Peasant Soup with Grains
This soup gives the grain as much weight as the cabbage: half a cup of pearl barley, hulled barley, oats, or cracked wheat, whatever the cupboard holds. The choice changes the bowl noticeably. Pearl barley stays springy and faintly nutty; hulled barley softens faster and thickens the broth; oats or wheat make everything mellower, almost creamy. Rinsing twice, first in warm water and then in hot, washes off the surface starch, and skipping it leaves the broth cloudy.
The common mistake is adding the grain at the same time as the potato. Barley takes far longer than any vegetable in this pot, so it cooks to halfway on its own before the cabbage and potato follow. Cut the cabbage into large squares rather than shreds — 300 g is about 10 oz, roughly a quarter of a big head, and wide pieces survive a few extra minutes of simmering instead of collapsing into threads. The carrot and onion sauté goes in near the end; ten to fifteen minutes is enough for it to give up color and sweetness without cooking off its aroma. Herbs and, for a richer bowl, a spoonful of smetana — the thick Ukrainian sour cream, or any full-fat sour cream — belong in the bowl, not the pot.
Part of Eastern European cuisine — 65 more recipes in the section.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Rinse the grain in warm, then in hot water, add it to boiling water, and cook until half done.
Shred the carrot and onion and fry them lightly in oil.
Into boiling water put the prepared grain, the cabbage cut into squares, and the potatoes cut into batons. Cook until done.
About 10–15 minutes before the end of cooking, add the fried vegetables and spices.
When serving, sprinkle the soup with finely chopped fresh herbs.
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