it's so simple that i was done with the preparations in 12 minutes, and leaving the pot to simmer on medium heat, i walked over to have a roasted veggie burrito at the nearby Big Ten Burrito.
[if you know the area, it's on Packard St, two blocks south from the Stadium Blvd intersection. for me, it's about 3 blocks.]
as for how the soup tastes, it's light and fresh, like a thin minestrone but without any tomato flavor. in this case, i think a few of the herbs and spices are key (i'll put them in bold, below), but you can replace the vegetables below with any that are in season .. even squash would do, i'd wager!
GREEN VEGETABLE SOUP
ingredients.
- 1/2 bunch of asparagus, chopped into fingernail-sized pieces;
- 1 large (or 2 small) zucchini, diced;
- 1 small onion, diced;
- 1 large handful of lentils;
- 1 large handful of pearled barley;
- 4 tsp fennel seeds;
- 3 tsp dried leaf marjoram;
- 2 shakes of jarred nutmeg;
- 2 cups vegetable broth;
- water, to taste;
- vegetable oil, for saute.
- set a large pan to high heat, and for 1-2 minutes, dry-saute the zucchini and asparagus with nutmeg and fennel seeds (i.e. do not add oil). then add diced onion, and after a 1/2 minute, add oil and saute well.
- switch to medium heat, add broth, 2 cups water, lentils, and barley. let simmer until lentils and barley are ready. add more water, depending on how thick or thin you wish it.
