Supersized soups

Vegetable soup is the perfect meal for cold, blustery days. It is not only an easy way to eat more vegetables but it is a cheap meal. 

One way to make a simple soup extra special is to make it thicker. This is a good idea for making the meal more filling. By adding pearl barley you can make the soup thicker and add a nice flavour. 

This is a cheap addition to a soup. It gives a vegetable soup a kick and fills you up. It is a good idea if you are making a meal for a lot of people, you can make it filling without needed lots of extra ingredients. 

The simple ingredients of a vegetable soup become even more delicious. You can have a very basic soup of carrots, sweet potato, leek and brown pasta and add pearl barley for flavour.  

The barley makes it filling, adds a nutty taste and easily cooks as you bring the soup to the boil. 

It is also a cheap addition to your food cupboard and great to have in as it can also be used as a rice alternative. This is only 0.55p in Tesco, which is great for anyone on a budget. A small packet will last a while and make a wintry soup even more delicious. 

Try it in your soup recipes and see how it can improve on a classic dish.