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This hearty vegetable soup combines tender barley, creamy Great Northern beans, mushrooms, carrots, and collard greens in a flavorful herb-infused broth.
8 servings
2 tablespoons olive oil
1½ cups chopped onions
3 carrots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ cups sliced mushrooms
6 cups vegetable broth
2 cups cooked barley
1½ cups cooked Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained.
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
7 cups chopped, stemmed collard greens (approximately 24 ounces)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Hot pepper sauce, to taste
Red bell pepper strips, optional garnish
1. Prepare the vegetables. Wash and chop the collard greens, removing tough stems. Dice the carrots, chop the onions, mince the garlic, and slice the mushrooms.
2. Sauté for flavor. In a separate skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and garlic and sauté for approximately 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Transfer to VitaClay. Add the sautéed vegetables to the VitaClay clay pot. Pour in the vegetable broth, then add the bay leaves, sugar, and dried thyme.
4. Add the collard greens. Stir in the chopped greens in batches, allowing them to settle into the broth. Make sure the ingredients do not exceed the cooker's maximum fill line.
5. Select Soup. Cover the cooker and select the Soup setting. Allow approximately 1–1½ hours as an initial test, checking that the carrots and collard greens become tender. Actual time will depend on the greens and the program's heating cycle.
6. Add the cooked barley and beans. During the final 15–20 minutes, stir in the cooked barley and drained Great Northern beans. Continue cooking until thoroughly heated. Adding them toward the end helps prevent the barley from becoming overly soft and the beans from breaking apart.
7. Finish and season. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the white wine vinegar and add hot pepper sauce to taste. Adjust the seasoning as needed.
8. Serve. Ladle into bowls and garnish with thin strips of red bell pepper, if desired.
Cook • Nourish • Gather • Thrive
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