SOUP: VEGETABLE BARLEY SOUP

 

SOUP:  VEGETABLE BARLEY SOUP

A bowl of barley soup is the finest when you need to prioritise both taste and health at the same time. You must give it a try, especially if you are in the first trimester of your pregnancy. A nutritious platter like this is unquestionably an incredible thing to have since the condition is still vulnerable in those days. Here, we offer a straightforward but wholesome recipe for vegetable- and barley-based soup.

 

Serving Size	2 Cups
Calories	220 kcal
Course	Soup

 

Ingredients	Quantity
Vegetable oil	1 tsp.
Onions, finely chopped	2 tbsp.
Garlic, chopped	½ tsp.
Carrots, chopped	2 tbsp.
Tomatoes, chopped	1 tbsp.
Tomato puree	2 tbsp.
Barley, soaked	1 tbsp.
Salt	To taste
Spinach, finely chopped	¼ cup
Paprika	½ tsp.
Oregano	½ tsp.

 

Method

·      On a medium heat, sauté garlic and onion in oil. Stir for 4-5 minutes after adding the carrots, spinach, barley, and tomato puree.

·      Add 3 cups of water to a pressure cooker and then transfer all of them there. Watch for three whistles.

·      Next, heat the oil in the pan and add the tomatoes. For 2 minutes, stir fry.

·      Then, add the cooked barley mixture to the pan. Mix salt, paprika, and oregano and stir well.

·      If necessary, add water. Boil it for a couple of minutes. To keep the mixture from sticking to the bottom, stir it occasionally. Serve hot.

Importance:

Barley: Barley has folate, which lowers the chance of newborns developing neural tube abnormalities. Pregnant women need folate, commonly known as vitamin B-9. Neural tube abnormalities (defects of brain and spinal cord) are less likely to occur when folate intake is adequate (Idehen et al., 2017).

Carrots: Eating carrots is healthy for babies and pregnant women since they are high in vitamins A and C. Pregnant women need vitamin C because it helps shield the unborn child from dangerous illnesses during pregnancy. Vitamin A is necessary for pregnant women as it aids in the development of the fetus's immune system and eyesight (Que et al., 2019).

Spinach: One of the vital elements that pregnant women should incorporate in their diet is folic acid, which is found in spinach in higher amounts. Birth deformities can be avoided by taking foliate or folic acid (NIDDK, 2019).