Tsam Thuk

Ingredients

• 4¼ ozpearl barleybase of the soup, simmered until tender
• 4¼ oztsampa (roasted barley flour)namesake version: whisked slowly into the simmering broth, thickens the soup (optional)
• 5⅛ cupsbrothbeef or bone broth; vegetable broth or water in the meatless version
• 4¼ ozstreaky baconfinely diced, rendered at the start
• 1Onionfinely diced, sautéed
• 2 clovesGarlicfinely chopped, sautéed with the onion
• 4¼ ozCarrotdiced small
• 3½ ozceleriacdiced small
• 3½ ozleekcut into fine rings, added later
• ⅔ ozButterfor sautéing, oil as an alternative
• ½ ozFlourfor thickening, sweated without colouring
• ¼ cupCreamstirred in at the end
• 5¼ ozPotatoesdiced small, simmered along (optional)
• 5¼ ozsavoy cabbagein strips, sweated along (optional)
• 2Bay leafsimmered along (optional)
• 1 tspthymemixed with bacon and onion (optional)
• 1 tbspGingerfinely minced, briefly sautéed (optional)
• 1Tomatodiced, breaks down while cooking (optional)
• 3½ ozSpinachroughly chopped, briefly simmered (optional)
• 2 tbspSoy sauceseasoning for the tsampa version (optional)
• 2 tbspparsleychopped, for sprinkling; chives, cilantro or spring onion likewise
• Saltto taste
• Black pepperto taste

Method

1. Finely dice the bacon, onion and garlic. Peel the carrot and celeriac and cut them into small dice, and slice the leek into fine rings.
2. Melt the butter in a wide pot and fry the bacon with the onion and garlic until the onion is soft and the bacon lightly browned.
3. Stir in the pearl barley, dust it with the wheat flour and sweat for 1–2 minutes without letting it take on colour.
4. Pour in the broth, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for 35–60 minutes until the barley is tender. Stir now and then.
5. Add the carrot, celeriac and leek and cook for a further 15–20 minutes until the vegetables are done.
6. Stir in the cream and bring the soup back to the boil briefly.
7. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
8. Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped parsley, with bread alongside.

Tips and variations

For the Tibetan version, whisk tsampa — roasted barley flour — slowly into the simmering broth instead of using whole grains; it thickens in a matter of minutes. Tomato, ginger, leafy greens such as spinach and a little soy sauce for seasoning suit it well, and the bacon is left out. Diced potato makes a good addition, and savoy cabbage and bay leaf in the vegetable base give it an autumnal note — remove the bay leaves before stirring in the cream, or at the latest before serving. Onions seasoned with thyme go nicely with leek that is only briefly boiled at the very end. There is also a very simple version where everything cooks together in the broth and slices of meat go in only at the end. Instead of parsley, try chives, cilantro or spring onion — and a piece of bread belongs with it either way.