Barley, Lentil, and Swiss Chard Soup

Swiss chard is packed with nutrition.  It is an excellent 

source of vitamins C, E, and K, carotenes, chlorophyll, and fiber.  It is also an excellent source of several minerals including potassium, magnesium, iron, and manganese.  Swiss chard is also a good source of many other nutrients including vitamin B6, protein, calcium, thiamine, selenium, zinc, niacin, and folic acid. 

This summer was the first time eating swiss chard for both my husband and I. We are trying to eat more and more leafy greens! :) I am hooked!!!! :) Plus - it helps when you get swiss chard in the food share and it forces you to find creative ways to use it. I added it into a stir-fry, baked, steamed and now let's add soup onto the list. 

And this is a great soup!!!! The flavor was perfect for such a cold day.

Barley, Lentil, and Swiss Chard Soup

The Ingredients:


1 T. olive oil or coconut oil

1/2 a small onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 medium carrots, sliced into rounds

2 stalks of celery, sliced (leaves and all!)

2 tsp. cumin

2/3 c. barley

1 32-ounce container of vegetable broth plus about 3 or 4 cups of water ( I used homemade broth and then also added a Chicken and Tomato Bouillon cube with my 4 cups of water)

1 14-ounce can of stewed tomatoes (I used a can of tomato sauce I had canned this summer)

2/3 c. green lentils

about 4 c. packed Swiss chard, chopped into bite-sized pieces

salt and pepper

The Directions:

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic, and saute for about a minute, until the onions just start to become transparent. Add the carrots and celery, and saute for another minute or two. Stir in the cumin and stir to coat everything fairly evenly. Then stir in the barley, the broth, and the water (you want about 10 cups of liquid). Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and let simmer for 25 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes (I used sauce) and the lentils, stir to combine, and bring back up to a boil. Lower the heat again and continue to simmer the for another 30 minutes, or until the barley and the lentils are tender.

Stir in the Swiss chard, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Please Note: This soup does take a full hour to cook, to ensure the barley and lentils are softened and tasty, so it’s not a quick dinner, but it is easy and most of that hour is spent doing something else while the soup simmers away on the stove.

Also - next time I will be adding a little more carrots. Maybe even a sweet potato. 


One last thing - Go check out Twelve Months of Bliss. A monthly challenge to Bliss!!! I am so excited for November's challenge, Life List.