Moroccan Root Vegetable & Pearl Barley Soup

This cold weather makes me think about spices and so the soups of Morocco came to mind.  I did a bit of research on the internet, and came up with a kind of Moroccan minestrone.

Serves 4
1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 stick of celery, diced 

1/4 swede, peeled & diced
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 litre recently boiled water
2 vegetable stock cubes 
100g pearl barley (a can of haricot or cannellini beans could be used instead)
1 tsp harissa
Salt & pepper to taste

Fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil whilst you finely dice the carrot and celery.  Add these when they are diced. Sweat over a medium low heat with the lid on for a few minutes, then add the swede, tomatoes, water, pearl barley or beans, and harissa.  Do not add the stock cubes until the pearl barley is cooked.

Bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 40 minutes or until the pearl barley and swede is tender.  When cooked stir in the crumbled stock cubes. 

NB This soup will get thicker the longer it is kept. If refrigerated overnight you will probably need to add a little more water to thin the soup as you reheat it.

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