Hearty barley soup with sausages

A soup as a filling meal-in-one to warm you up on a cold winter’s night. The barley thickens the soup and gives it a lovely creaminess. I always get excited when everyday ingredients combine into such a hearty meal. The pork bangers add a delicious taste and a touch of sour cream brings it all together.

Recipe from Food from the heart/ Onthoukos, as seen in LiG Tydskrif
Serves 6 – 8

20 ml (4 tsp) olive oil

5 pork sausages (see tips)

2 onions, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

2-3 celery stalks, sliced

4 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated

4 baby marrows, coarsely grated

1 large potato, peeled and coarsely grated

2 litres (8 cups) chicken or vegetable stock

2 bay leaves

30 ml (2 tbsp) dried mixed herbs or origanum

150-200 ml uncooked barley

1 x 410 g tin chopped tomatoes

125 ml (½ cup) sour cream and extra for serving

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

fresh origanum leaves for garnishing

1. Heat half of the oil over a medium temperature in a soup pot and fry the sausages until golden brown and nearly cooked. Spoon out and set aside.

2. Heat the rest of the oil in the same pot and sauté the onions, garlic and celery until golden brown. Add carrots, baby marrows and potato and sauté for a few more minutes.

3. Add the stock, bay leaves, dried herbs, barley, tomatoes and bring to the boil. Stir through and reduce the heat. Simmer gently with the lid for 1-1½ hours or until the barley is cooked.

4. Cut the sausages in thin slices or cubes and stir into the soup with the sour cream. Simmer for another 5 minutes, season to taste and garnish with dollops of extra sour cream and fresh origanum. This soup is a meal-in-one, as the barley makes it really filling, so don’t be tempted to serve it with bread as well.

1. Substitute the sour cream with plain yoghurt if you prefer a version that is not so rich. If a low-fat yoghurt is used, only stir this in just before serving and don’t allow it to boil. Low-fat yoghurt may curdle. A fuller fat yoghurt will be richer, but will not curdle.

2. Substitute the pork sausages in this recipe for beef or lamb sausages. A spiced sausage like chorizo or cabanossi, sautéed in a pan beforehand will also be delicious. 

3. Vegetarian option: Omit sausages and sprinkle finely grated pecorino or mature cheddar cheese over the warm soup.

4. The more barley used, the thicker the soup will be.