Pearl barley and verza cabbage soup

Another groceries-less dish. I made this last week-after stating (even in one of my blog posts) the complete absence of food in my fridge, for the third day in a row. It is amazing how you can find stuff you did not see before, just by looking a little more carefully in the fridge. Well, in the huge emptiness of my fridge, I found leftover cabbage from my cabbage strudel and a bunch of carrots and here it was: my frugal dinner to eat before going to the movies.

The movie was a very good independent documentary about the American Indians Associations, A Good Day To Die. It is a little hard to find but definitely worth it.

I am so happy that fall is here and the soup season has officially started! Here's the recipe enough to  feed 4 people or your self 4 times (such as in my case).


Ingredients:

• 1/4 cabbage (verza)
• 3 big carrots
• 1/2 onion
• 2 cups of barley
• 1/2 tsp cumin (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 fresh rosemary stem
• 1 small potato (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cups or more of vegetable broth (optional)
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• paprika to taste (and garnish)

Preparation:

• Chop all the ingredients. On medium heat cook the onion in 1-2 tbsp of oil until golden brown. Add carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes then add barley and let it toast for about 3 minutes. At this point add the cabbage and the broth. I did not have broth so I used water, which you can always use if you are a fan of smooth flavors. The liquid should cover all the solid ingredients 2-3 inches above. Add the bay leaf and rosemary and cumin if you are using it or other spices if you like. 
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• Bring to boil and cook on medium-low for 40 minutes. Set some worm broth or water aside and keep it ready in case you fell that the liquid is absorbing too fast. I do not typically soak the barley before cook it but if you do it for 30-60 minutes, it may reduce the cooking time by 10-20 minutes (depending on the soaking time). The barley should be as tender as you like it: for me soft but still a little crunchy is right.
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• Remove from heat and serve with some paprika, if you like and a tbsp of the best olive oil you can find.