Brussels Sprouts And Barley Soup Recipes

BRUSSELS SPROUTS SOUP RECIPE (EUROPEAN STYLE)

Steps:

• Peel and chop carrots;
• Clean and chop your leek;
• Peel and cube the potatoes;
• Clean and chop celery;
• Peel the parsnip (I use it whole and discard it at the end of cooking, but feel free to chop it like carrots and leave it in the soup);
• Wash your Brussels sprouts, discard outer leaves, gently trim the ends (you can leave them whole or cut them in halves, making sure that stem is intact so they don't fall apart in the soup).
• In a Dutch Oven or other pot with a lid, heat up butter or olive oil;
• Add leeks and cook for about 3 minutes, until softened;
• Add carrots and celery and cook for another 3-4 minutes;
• Add Brussels Sprouts, potatoes and parsnip;
• Pour in the broth, cover and cook for about 20-25 minutes, until all the veggies are cooked.
• Pour the cream into a cup and slowly add some of the soup broth to temper the cream;
• Once you have a full cup of liquid, pour it over into the pot;
• Check for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper;
• Garnish with parsley and serve with crusty bread.
• For an extra flavor's boost add a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a few drops of Maggie seasoning (all of which are optional).

CREAM OF BRUSSELS SPROUTS SOUP

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Trim off and discard the stem ends of the Brussels sprouts. Roughly chop the sprouts to similar sizes so they cook evenly; they'll get puréed in the end, so this isn't a beauty contest. Set them aside.
• Trim and roughly chop the celery; peel and roughly chop the shallot or leek.
• Heat the butter in a small pot over medium-high heat. Once it is melted, add the celery and the shallot. Sprinkle with the salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft, about 3 minutes.
• Add the chopped Brussels sprouts and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally until the Brussels sprouts turn a brighter shade of green, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring everything just to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer, cover partially, and cook until the Brussels sprouts are completely tender about 10 minutes.
• Use a hand-held immersion blender to completely purée the soup. You can also do this in a blender, but just be sure to let the soup cool a bit first, work in batches, and put a kitchen towel over the top of the blender in case the heat of the soup makes it splatter. Be sure to purée the soup a bit longer than you may think is necessary; you want the final product to be as smooth as possible.
• Stir in cream, if you like.
• Serve the soup hot, with a garnish of freshly ground black pepper to taste. Enjoy!

BARLEY WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS, SPINACH, AND EDAMAME

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil. Add the barley, cover, and simmer until just tender, about 40 minutes. Add the edamame beans, stir, and cover; continue cooking until barley is tender and edamame is bright green, about 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and fluff barley with a fork.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook ginger and garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the brussels sprouts and cook, stirring, until bright green and tender, about 2 minutes.
• Add remaining tablespoon oil to the pan. Add the spinach and cashews to the pan, and cook until the spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in barley and edamame. Season to taste with salt and crushed red pepper.