Vegetable soup with barley

Directions

1. Cover pearl barley with boiling water and leave to soak. while you prepare vegetables.
2. In a large pan, add carrots, potatoes, leeks and celery and vegetable stock.
3. Tie together parsley, half thyme stalks and bay leaf. Add to soup. Bring to boil, turn down and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. In a blender or processor, puree about half soup till smooth. Return to pan along with soaked pearl barley.
5. Bring the soup back to the boil and cook for about 10 minutes.
6. Strip leaves from rest of thyme, stir into soup at last minute, just before serving.