To begin making the Pearl Barley Vegetable Soup, make sure you have soaked the barley for at least 5 to 6 hours. The soaking process helps to cook the grains faster and more evenly.

Our next step is to get all the ingredients ready. If you don't have vegetable stock ready, you can use water, but you will have to adjust the taste and spices accordingly once the soup is ready.

We will use a pressure cooker method to cook the Pearl Barley Vegetable Soup. If you plan to use the saucepan method, continue with the similar procedure, but cook until the barley has cooked through completely and is edible.

Heat oil in the pressure cooker on medium heat; add the onions, garlic and celery. Saute for a couple of minutes until they become lightly tender. Add the remaining ingredients, except the parsley and give it a good stir. Check the salt and spice levels and adjust to suit your taste.

Cover the pressure cooker, place the weight on and cook until you hear 3 to 4 whistles. After 3 to 4 whistles, turn the heat to low and simmer the soup for another 5 to 10 minutes. After which, turn off the heat.

Allow the pressure cooker to rest until the pressure releases naturally. The cooking process continues in the cooker as long as there is pressure inside it.

Once the pressure is released, you can open the cooker and the soup will be ready. Do check if the barley is cooked through, sometimes the age of the grain makes it take a little longer than expected. Check the salt and spice levels, adjust to suit your taste and stir in the parsley.

Serve the Pearl Barley Vegetable Soup as a wholesome meal for weeknight dinner along with warm Masala French Toast.