Detox Barley, Lentil, and Fennel Soup: The Post-Holiday Comfort Food
Welcome 2023! After the Christmas holidays, spent with conviviality and good food, it’s normal to feel the need to cleanse the body. To get fit with taste, there’s nothing better than alternating light and healthy meals. Our detox soup is the perfect recipe to face the post-holiday period with energy and lightness.
Properties of the ingredients: A purifying and protein-rich mix
This soup is a true concentrate of wellness, thanks to three key ingredients: pearled barley, a low-calorie cereal, excellent remineralizing, and ally of the intestines; lentils, an extraordinary source of vegetable protein and antioxidant, essential for those following a balanced diet, and fennel, known for its excellent digestive and draining properties, ideal for deflating the abdomen.
A Vegan and Filling Comfort Food
If you are looking for a vegan main course or a single dish that is filling but low in fat, this soup is the ideal choice. It’s a natural comfort food, prepared only with legumes and fresh vegetables.
To make the flavor truly unique and special, I added a secret spice that is usually used in desserts, but in this savory dish, it creates a surprising aromatic contrast, satisfying both body and mind. Discover which one!
If you are looking for other detox or wellness-style ideas, here are some other recipes that might interest you:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Slow Fire
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
⚠️ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it won’t cost you anything extra!
- 1 1/4 cups pearled barley
- 3/4 cup lentils
- 1 golden onion
- 1/2 fennel
- 1 carrot
- 4 1/4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 leaf bay leaf
- 3 berries juniper
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste white pepper
Tools
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Knife
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 1 Teaspoon
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Strainer
Steps
Begin by washing and cleaning all the vegetables. Then, on a cutting board, cut the half fennel into pieces, chopping the fronds that will flavor the broth; dice the carrot and coarsely chop the onion (fig. 1).
Rinse the lentils under running water without soaking them*, then brown the onion mixture with a generous drizzle of oil inside a saucepan for 2 minutes, add the carrots and fennel, and lastly the lentils. Let them soak up the flavor for a few minutes and cover completely with hot vegetable broth.
Add the bay leaf, juniper berries, and the pearled barley, also rinsed under running water with the help of a strainer.
Finally, add the tomato paste and bring everything to a boil (fig. 4).
Lower the flame to the minimum and cook for about 25 minutes or according to the times indicated on the package. The broth should slightly thicken**. Just before turning off the heat, adjust the salt and pepper, and stir (fig. 5).
Once the heat is off, remove the bay leaf, flavor with the cinnamon, and stir one last time (fig. 6).
Serve the barley soup with lentils and fennel while still hot, adding a drizzle of raw oil.
And there you have it… the barley soup with lentils, fennel, and cinnamon is ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from FeFè’s Kitchen!
Storage
👉 You can store the barley and lentil soup in the fridge inside a container, preferably glass, with a hermetic seal, for 2-3 days. It can be frozen for up to 6 months.
Tips, notes, variations, and suggestions
🔵 * For lentils no soaking the night before is required, unless otherwise indicated on your package.
🔵** If, on the other hand, you prefer a soup with more broth, add more hot vegetable broth as it dries during cooking to achieve the desired consistency.
