Proving that there’s more to Italian cuisine than spaghetti vongole and quattro stagioni pizza, this soup is southern Italian peasant food at its very best. Serve with a rustic garlic ciabatta to mop up the juices and, despite the fact that it’s a seafood dish, a glass of hearty red, according to our wine expert Jane Parkinson. Well, if you insist…

KCal: 210 per serving

Saturated fat: 1.3g

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients (serves 8-10):

For the soffritto (the chopped vegetables which form the base of the soup):

100ml extra virgin olive oil
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
2 medium white onions, finely chopped
½ fresh red chilli
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
3 parsley stalks
20g salt
Black pepper

For the soup:

250g pearl barley
100ml white wine
2 litres good quality fish stock
500ml water
4 raw king prawns
6 raw langoustines
15 live clams, cleaned (discard any that are broken or do not close when tapped)
15 live mussels, beards pulled off, cleaned (discard any that are broken or do not close when tapped)

Barley Soup With Seafood