Vegan Barley Bean Soup

Here's another vegan soup.  I'm a fan of barley and you don't need meat to make a hardy flavorful soup with barley and kidney beans.

Ingredients:

• ​2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 8 cups of purified water
• 3 organic vegetable bouillon cubes or 2 Tbs. vegetable bouillon paste
  
• 1/2 cup barley, rinsed
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• handful of celery leaves, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Tbs. Mrs. Dash, original blend
• 1 small can diced tomatoes (reduced salt if possible)
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed (or 2 cups cooked from dried kidney beans)
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (or 2 Tbs. dried)
• 2 Tbs. fresh dill, chopped finely (or 2 tsp. dried)
• Sea salt and pepper

Method:​

1. ​Heat olive oil on medium low (4) in a large soup pot.
2. Add onions and sauté for about 7 minutes until translucent
   
3. Add garlic and sauté onions and garlic until golden.
   
4. Add all ingredients but the kidney beans, parsley, dill and sea salt and pepper.
   
5. Cover and simmer for one hour.
   
6. Add beans, parsley, dill and salt and pepper and simmer for 10 additional minutes over low heat.
   
7. Discard the bay leaf and serve.
   
8. Note: Again....this recipe freezes well so cool and freeze (preferably in glass containers like Anchor glassware) to eat during the week.