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| Photo credit New York Times |
Don't forget the garnish! Yogurt or crème fraîche and half the dill plus a bit of drizzled olive oil. (You could use Dill infused oil from any of the olive oil shops such as Fort Myers Olive Oil at Cypress Lake in Fort Myers, Florida or Ripe from the Vine on Route 6 in Marion, Massachusetts.)
Ingredients
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow finely diced onion
- 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
- 2 thinly sliced celery stalks
- 1 cup of chopped fresh dill leaves AND stalks (half for soup and half for garnish)
- Sea salt and ground pepper
- 1 cup (6 oz) of pearl barley
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 3-4 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 oz. baby spinach
- Greek yogurt or Crème Fraîche to serve
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add 1-2 T of the olive oil first, adding the onion and cooking until softened (always stirring) - about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, celery, half the dill and 1/2 tsp. salt. Stir until fragrant about 1-2 minutes.
Add the pearl barley and the stock and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally until the barley is swollen and tender, about 25-30 minutes.
Turn off the heat, adding the lemon juice and seasoning with salt and pepper. Taste!
Stir in the spinach, letting it wilt in the heat of the soup.
Ladle the soup into bowls and top with yogurt or Crème Fraîche, the remaining dill and drizzle with olive oil.
