Barley Soup

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1
  Rinse the barley groats in a colander and then let them soak in cold water for half an hour. Soak the mushrooms in 100-150 ml of cold water for the same amount of time.⁠
• 2
  Peel the carrots and slice them into rounds as thick as a charging cable (which I think is a better comparison than a grain stalk). Cut thicker parts of the carrot in half beforehand. Peel the onion and garlic, chop the onion coarsely, and slice the garlic thinly.⁠⠀
• 3
  Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the sliced carrots, all the salt, and sauté the carrots for at least a minute or two without letting them burn. This will give them a more intense flavor. Add the onion to the sautéed carrots and stir for another minute, finally add the garlic and Provençal herbs for the last 30 seconds. Finish sautéing by pouring in the broth.⁠
• 4
  Drain the soaked barley groats and add them to the pot. Remove the mushrooms from the water and also add them to the pot. Finally, carefully pour in the water in which they were soaked – without tipping any impurities from the bottom of the bowl into the pot.⁠
• 5
  Bring to a boil and add more salt if needed, as it always depends on the broth's flavor. Add the bay leaf to the developing soup and simmer gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes.⁠
• 6
  Stir the crushed tomatoes into the soup, this time cover with a lid and let it simmer gently for another 25 minutes. Finally, add salt again. Garnish with fresh parsley on the plate.