Sous Vide Red Lentil and Barley Soup

This earthy lentil soup takes inspiration from Heidi Swanson’s blog, 101 Cookbooks. Her original recipe combines sweet red lentils and nutty brown rice to make a thick, hearty stew. It is the epitome of simple — little more than these two ingredients, plus olive oil, salt, lemon juice, and a few choice toppings — but is supremely satisfying. Making the soup in the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker cuts down on the hands-on work and makes it even easier to prepare. Here, I’ve used barley in place of the brown rice, but you can use any whole grain you’d like. To keep it vegan, omit the cheese and use vegetable broth or water to cook the soup. (You’ll likely want to increase the amount of salt used to finish the dish.)

Author

Kate Itrich-Williams

Prep Time: 00:10

Recipe Time: 01:00

Temperature : 190F / 87.8C

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup red lentils
• 1/4 cup pearled barley
• Kosher salt
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth, chicken broth, water, or a combination
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Chopped black olives, for serving
• Crumbled feta cheese, for serving

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 190ºF (87.8ºC).
2. Combine the lentils, barley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large zipper lock bag. Carefully add the broth and olive oil. Seal the bag using the water immersion technique and place in the water bath. Set the timer for 1 hour.

Finishing Steps

1. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath. Pour the contents of the bag into a medium bowl. Use a potato masher or flat wooden spoon to mash some of the lentils in order to thicken the soup. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt.
2. Divide the soup between 2 serving bowls and top with olives and feta cheese. Serve.