Winter Warmer: Mum's Vegetable Soup

This is a slightly modified version of Mum's classic veggie soup. She used to make her own stock using lamb shanks as the base. The soup would need to cook for at least 2 hours on the stove, before the shanks were removed to be served with parsley sauce as a dish in their own right. To save time (and to overcome the difficulties in obtaining lamb shanks these days) this version is made with commercial stock, and the results are still very tasty.

4 litres beef or vegetable stock
1 cup pearl barley, washed and drained
4 large carrots, grated
1 large parsnip, grated
3 large onions, finely chopped
5 stalks celery, washed, strings removed and finely chopped
1 tsp salt if necessary

For extra flavour, leafy tops from the celery may be added to soup while cooking and removed before serving.

Place all ingredients in a large saucepan, cover and bring to the boil.

Simmer gently for 1 hour. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serve with crusty bread for a hearty meal on a cold winter's night.