Italian pearl barley stew

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 zucchini
• 1 bell pepper(s), yellow
• 2 onions
• 1 clove(s) garlic
• 1 carrot(s)
• 100 g celeriac
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 100 ml red wine, dry, Italian
• 1 large can of peeled tomatoes (850 ml)
• 200 g pearl barley
• some vegetable broth
• some salt
• some black pepper, freshly ground
• 3 stalks of basil
• 50 g Parmesan or other Italian hard cheese
• 1 chili pepper(s), optional

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour

Clean and rinse the zucchini, halve lengthwise, and slice. Halve the bell pepper, then clean and rinse and slice. Peel the onions and garlic clove and finely dice both. Clean, peel, and rinse the carrot and celeriac, then finely dice the carrot and celery. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and sauté the prepared ingredients for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the red wine and peeled tomatoes, including their juice. Stir in the pearl barley. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Add a little more vegetable stock if desired. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black or mixed pepper. Rinse the basil, shake dry, and pluck the leaves from the stems. Coarsely grate the cheese. Serve the soup in bowls or soup plates and garnish with the basil leaves and shaved cheese. If desired, you can sauté 1 finely chopped chili pepper, either seeded or unseeded (or partially deseeded), along with the other prepared ingredients in olive oil. Serve with fresh ciabatta.