Barley with vegetables

• 200 g of barley
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 carrot
• 1 red pepper
• 1 green zucchini
• 1 tomato (or 200 g of tomato puree)
• 2 stalks of celery
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 600 ml of vegetable soup base (or water)
• 1 teaspoon of thyme or oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh parsley for decoration

First, wash the barley well under running water. Then cook it in salted dill or vegetable stock until tender, which takes about 25-30 minutes. Once cooked, drain and set aside.

Finely chop the onion and garlic. Cut the carrot, pepper, zucchini and celery into small pieces or strips. Cut the tomatoes into cubes or use tomato paste.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the chopped onion and garlic and fry until soft and fragrant (about 3-4 minutes).

Add the carrot, pepper, zucchini and celery and fry for another 5-7 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Then mix in tomatoes or tomato paste and spices (thyme or oregano). Cook for another 5 minutes to combine the flavors.

When the vegetables are ready, add the cooked barley to the pan and mix well. If necessary, add a little more soup base to make the dish juicier, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Barley with vegetables is served warm, sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley. The dish can be served on its own or as a side dish to meat or fish.