I threw this together last night because I needed something easy and filling; when I ladled it out into bowls, my boy happily sighed: "I love this kind of soup!" Which just goes to show you that sometimes the simplest food can be the best.
1 tsp olive oil
1 leek, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 potato (preferably Viking Purple), diced
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup pearled barley
1/3 cup red lentils (optional)
1 veg bouillon cube
2 cans of water
1 bay leaf
1 small dried chipotle pepper (optional)
1 tsp white miso (optional)
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the leeks, garlic and carrots, and saute for a few minutes, or until everything begins to brown. Add the tomatoes, potato, beans, barley, lentils, bouillon cube, water, bay leaf and chipotle pepper and mix well. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Turn the heat down to low. Remove the bay leaf and chipotle pepper and stir in the miso until dissolved.
Note: I got Viking Purple potatoes at our farmer's market. I don't normally care for white potatoes, but these are wonderfully creamy and have an almost velvety texture.
