RIČET - TRADITIONAL SLOVENIAN BARLEY SOUP

Is one of many thick soups,  stews or hot pots in Slovenian cuisine that used to be on our menus often, at least once a week.  It is becoming very popular again. It is actually very healthy and nutritious dish that can be made as a completely vegetarian dish. Traditionally it is made with a nice peace of smoked pork or "Kranjska klobasa - Carniola sausage" that adds  to a reach flavour and of course, calories. 

Traditional Barley thick soup, stew with Carniola sausage.

Like many similar dishes, it has a few "basic or must have" ingredients. Those are barley, beans and potatoes. Besides these, any kind of vegetables you can find in you fridge carrots, parsley celery etc.

Recipe for ričet - Barley soup:

Ingredients:

200 g of barley
1 and 1/2 l of water
200 g of pre-cooked beans
300 g of cooked smoked pork, ham, sausage
1 medium anion 
3 cloves of garlic
1 medium tomato or 
2 tbsp of tomato past
300 g of mixed vegetables for example: carrots, parsley root, celery, cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, bell pepper, pumpkin etc.
1 tsp of ground caraway seeds
2 bay leaves
1 tsp of thyme
1 tsp of marjoram 
salt to taste 
ground black pepper
10 g of bonito flakes - optional
fresh parsley leaves - chopped

Various vegetables 

Wash the barley and soak it in water over night. 

Sliced or grated vegetables

Put the pot of pre-soaked barley to cook. Add sliced onions, crashed garlic, herbs and spices except salt. Bring to a boil and slowly cook for about 20 minutes. Then slowly add all the vegetables. Use 3 to 5 different kinds of vegetables that you like and that go well together. First add the ones that have the longest cooking time. From time to time mix the stew, so that it does not stick to the bottom. 
Cook another 15 minutes. Then add separately cooked beans, pre-cooked smoked pork, ham or sausage and sliced tomato or tomato past. If the soup is too thick, add more water. You can use water from cooking beans and smoked pork. 

Add beans,

sliced tomatos,

Add salt to taste. Cook another 10 minutes. Try if it is cooked.  Cover the pot and let the stew rest for about 5 to 10 minutes, then serve garnished with parsley. 

Barley soup

You can serve ham or sausage separately or in the soup. 

Carniola sausage instead of ham, but it is your choice.

Served with Carniola sausage in top.

You can also make the dish without meat. In that case I usually add bonito flakes into the pot during the cooking procedure. It adds flavour to the stew. 

It is really one pot, a complete dish. Slice of fresh bread is usually served with the plate. You can add some desert afterwards. Maybe apple pie or maybe Buhteljni, another traditional sweet dish - the recipe coming soon. 

Buhteljni, sweet dough pockets filled with jam.

My tip: Instead of barley you can use this recipe also for cooking Job's Tears also known as adlay and coin or hate mugi. It is also delicious!

Instead of Barley you can use Job's tears - hato-mugi

You can see more photos on this LINK!