Oriental pearl barley stew

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 stalk(s) Celery
• 150 g celeriac
• 2 m.-large carrot(s)
• 1 small leek(s)
• 1 small onion(s)
• 80 g pearl barley
• 200 g chickpeas
• 8 prunes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pinch of cinnamon powder
• 1 pinch of cumin
• 600 ml vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp, heaped parsley
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

Vegan

Place the pearl barley in a sieve, rinse, bring to a boil with 160 ml of the vegetable stock, and cook according to the package instructions. This can vary depending on the size of the pearl barley. I like to use the larger ones. Clean the vegetables, slice the carrots diagonally, dice the celeriac, finely dice the celery, slice the leek into rings, and finely dice the onion. Heat olive oil in a saucepan, sauté the vegetables for 4-5 minutes, then sprinkle with the cinnamon and cumin, add the rest of the vegetable stock, and bring to a boil. Drain the chickpeas and add them. Simmer for about 10 minutes, then add the cooked pearl barley. Finely chop the prunes and add them, and bring back to a boil. Season the stew with salt and pepper. Finally, stir in the chopped parsley. Serve immediately. Tip: I no longer use canned chickpeas. Chickpeas are great for cooking ahead of time and then freezing. Soak the chickpeas in plenty of cold water for about 12 hours, then drain and re-cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 1 hour. Drain well in a sieve, then place in a freezer bag and freeze. This way, you can take them out as needed.