Reviewed: Nov. 8, 2009

I loved this soup. I will make this again. I did add a bit of ham since my kids are such meat eaters. I omited the tomatoes because the kids won't eat them. Absolutely yummy!

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LadybugBates

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Reviewed: Mar. 15, 2009

Soaking the beans overnight ensures that they will be adequately cooked. Use a high quality broth to ensure good flavor - I use homemade vegetable broth as a base and it makes all the difference in the overall flavor.

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Melanie

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Reviewed: Jan. 23, 2009

Really good soup. I added in some forzen corn and used petit diced tomatoes.

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SallyM1985

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Reviewed: Dec. 21, 2008

Used 3 cans chicken broth and 2 cups water. Did not have celery or bell pepper available. Suggestion addition of 1 tsp paprika for a little zip. Good, hearty soup.

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who_me

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Reviewed: Nov. 1, 2008

This is a very colorful, healthy, and tasty soup. I did change up the proportions a bit based on what I had - used 1 can of Great Northern Beans (so obviously skipped the first step but rinsed and drained them well), 1 large sweet yellow bell pepper, 1/2 large onion, 2 carrots, no celery, the same amount of barley and the same amount of spices. Only 2 cups water and 4 cups chicken broth and just one 14.5 oz can of undrained diced tomatoes. The barley helped thicken the broth just enough. I garnished with fresh thyme and several grinds of black pepper.

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gapch1026

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Reviewed: Oct. 28, 2008

good starter recipe, but very bland. I added spices based on other reviews, but I should have added a lot more.

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Chel

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Reviewed: Oct. 27, 2008

Very good soup. The only change I made was to reduce the water to 2 cups and increase the broth to 6 cups.

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Kimberly

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Mattoon, Illinois, USA

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Reviewed: Oct. 12, 2008

I don't usually care for soup but this was fantastic! I made a few changes... 1. soaked beans in cold water overnight (skipped the precooking step) 2. cooked soup in the crock pot on low all day 3. used 8 tsp "Better than Bouillon" and 8 cups water instead of broth and water I would have liked this soup to have less liquid and more barley. I will cook and add barley to the leftovers.

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Marianna

Home Town: Boise, Idaho, USA

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Reviewed: May 19, 2008

This is a wonderful soup. I've made it a number of times and each time not a drop has been leftover. My family loves barley, so this was an easy recipe for me to try (works well with rice, too). I use canned Cannellini beans when I cook it "stovetop" because I don't think the cooking time is long enough to soften dried Great Northerns (which I LOVE) and I use dried Great Northerns when I used my crockpot/slow cooker. I omit the red peppers (too pricey these days) and substitute zucchini. I also smash it up a bit with my immersion blender (to give it more texture) and put out grated parmesan cheese when serving. My husband and I add salt, my daughter sprinkles hers with red (cayenne) pepper and my sons seem to enjoy it "just as is". In other words, a genuine "family favorite".

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ManassasMa

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: New York, New York, USA

Living In: Manassas, Virginia, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 14, 2008

The flavor of this soup is fine, but not great. It's unfair to refer to the soup as bland, but it needs "something." It surely must be healthy, which is a plus in my book. As others have written, it's a good base to build from but does need a little work.

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CURTISLEE

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Valley, Nebraska, USA

Living In: Omaha, Nebraska, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 6, 2007

This was a good recipe to start from. However I added canned chicken to the pot and eliminated some of the veggies, simply because I didn't have them on hand. The chicken added a lot to it. This recipe is one that I will play with. I usually don't stick to a recipe until I've made it my own.

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E Seltzer

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Elizabethville, Pennsylvania, USA

Living In: Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, USA

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Reviewed: Feb. 11, 2007

I don't, um, actually remember making this. (Must've been right before I moved.) But I wrote a 4 out to the side, so there you go. :-)

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Erimess

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Nov. 23, 2006

Pretty good. I would use less beans and a little more stock, tweak the spices a bit. Overall for the first time making it the recipe was a good starting point. I look forward to making it again and again, with improvements each time.

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