Grauensuppe or German Barley Soup

This recipe is from Saveur magazine. Living in California we have a very short period of time when the weather commands a pot of soup on the lunch menu. So with our cooler days, we are enjoying this recipe.

***

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 cup pearl barley

8 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup finely chopped peeled Russet potato

1/2 cup finely chopped carrot

1/2 cup finely chopped celery root

1/2 cup finely chopped leek

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

2 German sausages, like knockwurst or bratwurst

1 2-oz piece bacon

Finely grated nutmeg, to taste

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/3 cup thinly sliced flat leaf parsley

***

Heat butter in a 6 quart saucepan over medium-high heat; add onions, and cook stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add barley and cook stirring constantly until toasted, about 5 minutes. Add stock, potato, carrot, celery root, leek and marjoram, sausage sand bacon, and cook stirring occasionally, until sausages are tender, about 35 minutes. Remove sausages and bacon from saucepan, thinly slice sausages and discard bacon. Season soup with nutmeg, salt and pepper. To serve ladle into 8 serving bowls, and garnish with parsley and sliced sausage.