Barley and me

JF (by which I mean Noah) wowed us yesterday with a yummy scrummy bean and barley soup that came alive with notes of thyme. It was so comforting and unctuous, it was as if our mammas had cooked for us! Except this is a way sexier version than most mammas are likely to make. You've GOT to try this one at home.

What you need:

1 cup of lima beans
3 carrots
3 branches of celery
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup of barley
2 big pack of vegetable broth
3 tbsp Red wine vinegar
Salt, pepper
Fresh thyme

What you need to do:

Soak the lime beans in a big bowl of cold water for 6 to 8 hours.
Drain the beans and reserve.
Roughly cut the onion, the carrots and the celery.
In a big pot, sauté the onion, the carrots and the celery. Add the garlic.
Add the barley and deglaze with red wine vinegar.
Add the vegetable broth.
Add the beans.
Add 4 cups of water.
Add salt and pepper and a few branches of fresh thyme.
Simmer and reduce for about an hour. Stir regularly.
Fix the seasoning and add about one cup of water. Simmer and reduce for another hour. Don’t forget to stir regularly.
Add another cup of water and cook for another hour until the soup becomes thicker and has a nice creamy texture.
Strip the leaves off 5 stems of thyme and add them to the soup. Season accordingly.