I want to share my method for soup creation that I have been using for years. It’s very simple and allows me to use what I have on hand to make a quick but very wholesome meal. Once you have the method down, you can plug and play and make countless meals. (yay!) So very perfect for those nights when you just don’t have the energy to make much more happen in the kitchen (or clean up after it).

Recipe Outline
makes 3-4 servings
1 box of vegetable stock (or broth)
1 cup grain/pasta (barley, farro, rice, pasta, etc.)
1 diced onion or shallot
1 diced carrot
2 garlic cloves (smashed, but not chopped)
1 cup of dark greens (kale, spinach, collard greens, mustard greens, etc.)
Generous portion of fresh herbs (dill, basil, thyme, oregano, chives, etc.)
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil

Directions
1) Sautée onion, carrot, and garlic until soft in a little bit of olive oil. While sautéing, include a handful of herb stalks bound together (we will remove it later). A great tip is to use a stalk of herbs to “tie” the rest together (you’ll see this in a moment). As a note, if you want to add in any more vegetables to your soup, do it at this stage!
2) Pour in vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to your liking to flavor the soup base.
3) Add greens.
4) Once you have a boil, add your grain/pasta and let cook based on the required time for that grain or pasta.
5) When the grain/pasta is a few minutes from being done, toss in your coarsely chopped greens and more fresh herbs.

Now, here is one of many varieties of our lovely outline–Barley Vegetable Soup:

Here is what I used!

Grain: barley (I use a quick cooking variety)
Greens: dinosaur kale
Herbs: dill and thyme

Eat happy!