Barley has a pretty impressive nutrient profile that makes it a wonderful addition to any soup. In one cup, it has 23 g of protein, is high in the vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, with some folate, and high in the minerals magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, and some calcium. But unless it is properly prepared by soaking, sprouting, or fermenting, these minerals will not be accessible.

Hulled barley still contains the outer bran layer and pearl barley has this removed. If you’re not going to properly prepare your barely, it might be a better idea to go with the pearl barley. Just know that in addition to having the phytic acid removed, it is also has hardly and protein or nutrients left either. I like to buy my hulled barley in bulk here through Country Life Natural Foods, but you can also buy it here and here from Amazon.

At any rate, the best way to prepare barley so that it gets rid of all the phytic acid is to soak it in an acidic medium that will unlock the phytase within the barley which will help to break down the phytic acid. Read more about phytic acid in my blog Phytic Acid: An Anti-Nutrient That’s Slowly Killing You.

Ingredients

2 c. Organic Hulled Barley (Get some here.)
4 Quarts of Filtered Water
2 T. Apple Cider Vinegar (Get some here.)
Pot
Colander

Directions

Put your barley in a four quart pot and fill it almost to the top with water. It’s best if the water is warm.
Barley in Water
Add the apple cider vinegar.
Let it sit for 24+ hours. Stir the grains occasionally if you think of it.
Bring to a slow boil and let simmer until the barley puff up. It should soak up most of the water at this point.
Drain the barley in a colander and rinse with filtered water. (This isn’t necessarily getting rid of any impurities, but if you don’t do this, your soup will be really cloudy.)
Straining Barley
Add to your soup and continue to cook on low to medium for about an hour.
Barley Added to Chicken Soup