Vegetable Soup with Barley

1. Put pearl barley in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to soak while you prepare vegetables.
2. In a large pan, add carrots, potatoes, leeks, celery and vegetable stock.
3. Tie together parsley, half of the thyme stalks and bay leaf. Add the bundle to the soup. Bring to boil, then turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. In a blender or food processor, purée about half of the soup till smooth. Return to pan along with soaked pearl barley.
5. Bring the soup back to boil and cook for about 10 minutes.
6. Strip leaves from the rest of the thyme, stir into soup at the last minute, just before serving. Remove the bundle of herbs before serving.