Barley Soup with Spring Greens
Spring is a lean time. Vegetation, hence harvest, is sparse. But as the spring progresses, the yield gets more bountiful.
This soup has subtle flavours and ticks all the boxes to balance the spring qualities (heavy, slow, sticky, cold).
It uses pearl barley with sweet, astringent tastes and light, cold, and dry qualities. However, it is nourishing and brings strength. Barley is very beneficial for our kidneys; it helps to reduce fever and helps with cystitis, diabetes, and skin diseases.
What makes it great for spring, the one season when we can lose weight easiest, is that it supports a weight loss regime. But, because of its dry qualities, it can increase Vata and reduce Pitta and Kapha.
Whatever breaks through the soil in the spring is green in colour and of bitter taste, one of the favourable tastes.
We have nettles that I mentioned in another blog post, dandelion, rocket, and asparagus. Any of those can be added to the soup.
In this soup, I used spinach and kale, which can still be harvested now from the winter months.
How to make the Soup?
These measurements are good for 2 servings as the main course:
Here are the ingredients for the Spring Soup:
½ cup of pearl barley, soaked overnight and drained
1 stalk leek
1 stalk of celery
1 or 2 sprigs of thyme or oregano
2 tbsp olive oil/ghee
¾ tsp cumin
¾ tsp fennel
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
½ salt
½ black pepper
3-4 cups hot water or vegetable stock (in which case omit the salt)
2 cups of spinach, 2 cups of kale
Lemon juice
Fresh herbs, i.e. parsley, basil, coriander
How to do it!
Use a heavy bottom pot, heat the oil, add cumin and fennel seeds, and sauté until fragrant.
Add the leek and sauté until translucent; add the celery and continue until it has softened.
Add the barley and grated ginger and keep sauteing for another couple of minutes before adding the hot water/vegetable stock.
If you use kale, add it now to the soup. Spinach can be added towards the end.
Cook the soup until the barley and kale are soft, then add the spinach.
If you are using water, use salt and pepper and lemon juice at the end.
Enjoy the soup with a slice of toasted sourdough bread. I also ate with cooked millet and kitchadi, which worked like a treat.
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Why are these Ingredients beneficial during Spring?
Ayurveda is based on the principle that we balance qualities with their opposite ones. Applied to the spring, which has heavy, slow, cold, sticky, moist and oily qualities.
These qualities dampen our digestive capacities, our agni, which results in slower digestion. Slow digestion creates and leaves toxins, or ama, in our body, leading to illnesses over time. Hence Ayurveda is keen on strengthening the digestive fir our agni to deal with these toxins. Some spices, such as cumin, coriander, fennel and ginger, kindle the agni; this kindling quality is called dipana.
Other spices, such as ginger and black pepper, which have pachana qualities, help digest ama, the toxins.
So, we need to use light, fast, warm, clear and dry qualities to balance.
Tastes which balance us in the spring are bitter, pungent, and astringent.
As I mentioned above, barley has an astringent taste and drying qualities, which makes it beneficial for us.
Cumin, fennel, black pepper, ginger and herbs are pungent.
The leafy greens are bitter in taste and light in their quality; they support the liver in its function, helping to detox.
Celery stimulates and helps our digestion, supports the liver, and, most importantly, for the spring, dries out dampness and scrapes excess mucus in the system, which can lead to congestion and retention.
Leek is bitter and pungent in taste; it benefits our circulatory and respiratory systems.
Nature works in beautiful ways. All seems random, but when put together, you end up with a delicious dish that helps us heal and stay healthy.
Isn’t that unbelievable?
Please try the dish. Let me know.
If you are unfamiliar with spices, you can cook with this video until you get confident.
Enjoy trying this dish, and please let me know how it went on Instagram, Facebook or even good old email.
I love hearing from you!
Katja x
P.S. If you like to learn more about season living with Ayurveda and how to cook delicious, nourishing meals, head over to the Back to Balance Course for more information and hop onto the Waitlist. The course is going to start up again soon.
