Barley Soup with Roasted Seasonal Vegetables (HCEV)

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup pearled barley
• 6 cups vegetable stock (I'm no vegetarian, don't have room in the freezer to justify making stock, and wanted something richer than water: So boxed chicken stock.)
• About 2 pounds root vegetables--turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, carrots, celery root, waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold or fingerling, alone or in combination--peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves or 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage (I went with fresh since I'm making something soon that will require fresh sage leaves.)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Bought a turnip and a bag of parsnips. Figured I could snag a few carrots at home for brightness. This is the pile of peelings I wound up with after accumulating enough vegetables to equal 2 pounds of them and allow an ounce for trimming ends.


Peeled vegetables.


Roasted at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes


Oops I forgot to take a picture of me sauteing the onions, garlic and smidge of bacon.
Again, folks, I'm no vegetarian though I often have vegetarian days. Plus, I got to use this HOMEMADE bacon somehow.


Bittman said that after 5 minutes of constant stirring that the mixture would begin to stick. I wasn't timing this step and stopped when I thought the barley was toasted plenty.


Adding the chicken broth. SORRY!!!


I was supposed to cook this until the barley was very tender, but I was hungry and stopped cooking after I reached edible.


There was very little liquid left especially after adding the vegetables. I'd probably consider this dish much more of a barley pilaf than soup here. The sage figured well in the dish. I'm not sure the dish is quite worthy of making again, but it certainly was nice.
I cooked one of the variations of a soup whose main recipe involved cooking the vegetables directly in the broth. Even though it's been sweltering recently, if I have the time I am ABSOLUTELY taking advantage of the maillard reaction (See previous entry with this tag).

When do I cook when I'm pressed for time anyway? Easier just to go to the Chinese restaurant down the street all my roommates hate for some reason.