Herb Rich Barley & Bean Soup
Hi I’m Evangeline! Welcome to my blog. I am mom and lover of all things health and wellness. By profession- a Registered Massage Therapist and Yoga & Ayurveda consultant. I started this blog back in the early days of Covid19 as a way to stay in touch with my clients, and it’s grown into a space to share what I love most. Here you’ll find health tips and nourishing recipes I make for my family, sprinkled with Ayurveda and Yoga wisdom. My hope is that these posts inspire you to care for yourself in small, joyful ways and feel a little more balanced in everyday life.
Perfect soup on a winter day, packed with herbs and spices that nourish and heal for that oh so warm, comfy feeling.
Herb Rich Barley & Bean Soup
Herb Rich Barley & Bean Soup
Yields: 2 - 3 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
ingredients
¼ cup pearl barley, if using hulled barley soak overnight
½ cup split mung beans, can soak overnight too with hulled barley but not necessary
2 tsps ghee or olive oil
2 tsps ground fennel
2 tsps ground coriander
⅛ tsp turmeric
1 sprig fresh rosemary
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
3-4 sprigs fresh oregano
3-4 leaves of sage
¼ tsp black pepper
1 medium taro
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
1 zucchini
2-3 bunches of bok choy
3 cups water or vegetable broth
½ - ¾ tsp soma salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Rinse barley and split mung beans well and set aside.
Prep spices, stem the herbs, and set aside.
Prep and peel taro and vegetables, cutting into chunks.
In a large pot, heat ghee or olive oil in medium-low heat.
Add ground fennel and coriander, and turmeric, stirring into the oil.
Add barley, split mung beans, taro, carrots, celery and water or broth, and turn heat up to high to come to a boil.
Turn heat down to medium-low, add herbs and black pepper, and cover with a lid.
Cook for 30 minutes, and add zucchini and bok choy stems, and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add bok choy leaves last and cook for just a minute until the leaves turn bright green. Add salt and stir.
Serve warm with a squirt of fresh lime juice.
Enjoy!
Ayurvedic Profile of Spices
Black peppercorn - heating effect; anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive, anti-obesity, anti-cancer, hepato-protective, and neuro-protective
Coriander - cooling effect; binds toxins and heavy metals for elimination through the urinary channels; pacifies acid stomach
Fennel - sweet and pungent taste; enhances digestive fire; fennel and coriander, with a bit of cumin and turmeric makes for a balancing digestive spice mix for all body types
Oregano - pungent, heating; anti-microbial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic
Rosemary - mildly heating, not aggravating to pitta dosha, with a sweetness; enhances cellular metabolism (dehagni) helping connect heart and mind; a rich source of antioxidants
Thyme- pungent taste, heating effect; anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-septic, anti-inflammatory, anti-neoplastic; high in phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals; supports digestion
Turmeric - cleans the liver, known as “a friend to the liver” in Ayurveda; anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral properties. SVA recommends to cook with turmeric, and avoid consuming turmeric or curcumin supplements, or turmeric as a tea, as it needs fats to deliver its beneficial properties, and over time turmeric tea will overtax the liver.
Sage - heating effect; support the nervous system; high in anti-oxidants, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial
Soma Salt - cooling effect, so not aggravating to pitta dosha; high in minerals
