Skip to main content

Cold Potato-Barley Buttermilk Soup

Potatoes, barley, and buttermilk are a trio that I find blissfully refreshing in the summer, served cold in a soup.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    6 servings

Ingredients

4 medium-large potatoes
2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths (or frozen cut green beans, thawed)
1/2 cups cooked barley (from 1/2 cup raw; see Basic Cooked Barley, page 101)
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Peel the potatoes and cut into approximately 4-inch dice. Cover with water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the potatoes are about half done, about 10 minutes. Add the green beans and cook until both are tender but not overdone, about 10 minutes longer. Remove from the heat, but do not drain.

    Step 2

    Let the potato-green bean mixture stand, uncovered, until it is at room temperature, then add the remaining ingredients. Serve at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate until chilled, if desired.

  2. cold soups

    Step 3

    Mid- to late summer is our brief chance to grab what we can of sun, sand, and—soup. Okay, so soup might not be something that springs immediately to mind when you think of summer pleasures, but I find few things more refreshing on a warm summer day than a bowl of cold soup.

  3. Step 4

    To round out a meal of cold soup, add a substantial salad, a good bread, and if you’d like, some fresh corn on the cob. These cool, flavorful elixirs whet the wilted appetite like nothing else can!

  4. nutrition information

    Step 5

    Calories: 183

    Step 6

    Total Fat: 0g

    Step 7

    Protein: 6g

    Step 8

    Carbohydrate: 38g

    Step 9

    Cholesterol: 3mg

    Step 10

    Sodium: 50mg

The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet
Read More
Khao niaow ma muang, or steamed coconut sticky rice with ripe mango, is a classic in Thai cuisine—and you can make it at home.
With just a handful of ingredients, this old-fashioned egg custard is the little black dress of dinner party desserts—simple and effortlessly chic.
With rich chocolate flavor and easy customization, this hot cocoa recipe is just the one you want to get you through winter.
This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.
Crunchy and crowd-pleasing, this salad can be prepared in advance and customized to your heart’s content.
Baking meatballs and green beans on two sides of the same sheet pan streamlines the cooking process for this saucy, savory dinner.
Make this versatile caramel at home with our slow-simmered method using milk and sugar—or take one of two sweetened condensed milk shortcuts.
A garlicky pistachio topping takes this sunny summer pasta from good to great.