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1
Rinse the Barley
5 Mins • Hands On
No heat — cold water, about 15°C (59°F)
Put the pearl barley in a sieve and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear, then drain well. Pick out any stones or broken grains.
Rinsing removes the dusty starch that would make the soup cloudy.
Done when: The water runs clear and the grains look clean and pearly.
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2
Sweat the Vegetables and Meat
10 Mins • Hands On
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Melt the butter in a large heavy pot. Add the onion, leek, carrots, celeriac and cabbage and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until softened but not browned. Add the bacon, ham and garlic and cook for 3 more minutes until the fat starts to run and the pot smells smoky and sweet.
Do not brown the vegetables — colour here would make the broth bitter.
Done when: The vegetables are soft and glossy, the bacon is starting to release its fat, and the pot smells smoky.
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3
Add Stock and Simmer
60 Mins • Hands On
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (203°F)
Stir in the barley and potatoes, add the bay leaf, then pour in the beef stock and water. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then reduce to the gentlest simmer, cover with the lid ajar, and cook for 60 minutes until the barley is tender and the soup has thickened. The pork simmers well above the 71°C (160°F) food-safety minimum throughout.
Keep the simmer lazy — a rolling boil breaks the barley and clouds the soup.
Done when: The barley is tender with a little chew, the potatoes are soft, and the broth is lightly thickened.
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4
Stir in the Cream
5 Mins • Hands On
Low heat, about 80°C (175°F)
Lift the pot off the heat and remove the bay leaf. Stir in the cream slowly, then season with black pepper and salt — taste first, as the bacon and ham are already salty. Return to the lowest heat for 2 minutes to warm through, without boiling.
Never boil the soup after the cream goes in, or it can curdle.
Done when: The soup is pale, creamy and smooth, with no sign of the cream splitting.
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5
Rest and Serve
5 Mins • Hands On
Serve hot, about 65°C (150°F)
Rest the soup for 5 minutes off the heat so the barley settles and the flavours come together. Ladle into deep warm bowls and scatter the chopped parsley over the top. Serve with dark rye bread.
Warm the bowls first — this soup cools fast in a cold bowl.
Done when: Each bowl is thick with barley and vegetables, creamy, and steaming, with green parsley on top.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Take the pot off the heat before stirring in the cream, ladle into deep warm bowls, and scatter the chopped parsley over the top so the soup arrives steaming and creamy.
Switzerland
40m
