Hearty Sausage, Tomato and Barley Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 500 g garlic and herb sausages (or any good-quality sausages)
• 1 x 360g jar Ballymaloe 100 Recipe Sauce
• 1-1.5 litres chicken stock
• 100 g pearl barley
• a squeeze lemon or a splash of vinegar (optional)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Add the sausages and cook, turning often, for a few minutes, just until they have started to take on some colour. Remove from the pan and cut into bite-sized pieces, then return to the pan.
2. Add the Ballymaloe 100 Recipe Sauce. Add a splash of water to the empty jar and swish it around to catch all the sauce still clinging to the sides, then add that to the pan too along with 1 litre of chicken stock.
3. Rinse the pearl barley in a fine mesh sieve, then add it to the pan and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring now and then to make sure the barley isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the barley is cooked through and tender. Top up with more stock if the soup is too thick.
5. Taste and add a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of vinegar (any kind) if you want to brighten the flavour.

Divide among bowls and grate over plenty of Parmesan cheese to serve.