Roast Vegetable And Barley Soup

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• vegetable oil cooking spray
• 4 large plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 3 medium carrots, trimmed, peeled, quartered (about 8 ounces)
• 6 ounces fresh cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 1 large onion, cut into 1-inch wedges through root end
• 1 red bell pepper, quartered
• 1 medium zucchini, trimmed, halved lengthwise
• 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 cups canned vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 ounces package dried porcini mushrooms
• 3 large fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup pearl barley
• chopped fresh parsley

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 400°f
• 2 spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.
• 3 arrange tomatoes and next 6 ingredients on sheet.
• 4 drizzle with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• 5 roast until vegetables are tender and brown around edges, stirring occasionally, about 55 minutes.
• 6 peel garlic and reserve. coarsely chop half of vegetables and reserve.
• 7 transfer garlic and remaining vegetables from sheet to large pot (reserve sheet).
• 8 add 1/2 cup vegetable broth to baking sheet and scrape up browned bits; add to pot with vegetables.
• 9 add 7 1/2 cups broth, dried porcini, thyme, and bay leaf to pot.
• 10 bring to boil. reduce heat to medium; cover and simmer until vegetables and porcini are very tender, about 20 minutes.
• 11 pour vegetables and broth into large strainer set over bowl. transfer vegetables in strainer to processor and puree until smooth; set aside.
• 12 return broth and bay leaf to pot; add barley and bring to boil.
• 13 reduce heat to medium; cover and simmer until barley is tender, about 40 minutes. add reserved vegetable puree and chopped vegetables to pot; simmer until soup thickens and flavors blend, about 10 minutes.
• 14 season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (can be made 1 day ahead. cool soup slightly. chill soup uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. rewarm over medium heat, thinning with additional broth if desired before serving.)
• 15 ladle soup into bowls. sprinkle with parsley and serve.