Country style soup

My parents are visiting me for the holidays and for them, there is no such thing as a meal without a soup. 

They prefer a vegetable soup. I created this soup, trying to use some warm spices along with root vegetables, and the outcome is a hearty, flavorful, and rich soup.

Ingredients:

1 chopped onion

3 celery stalk- chopped

1 chopped parsnip

3 chopped carrots 

1 red bell pepper- chopped

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 cup pearl barley

Salt

Pepper 

6 cups water

1 can organic tomato sauce 15oz/425g

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon agave

1 teaspoon no chicken paste

1 teaspoon no beef paste

3 tablespoon dry parsley

1 teaspoon cumin

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

In a soup pot add olive oil and onions, sauté for few minutes, then add celery, parsnip, carrots and peppers, salt and pepper, sauté for a couple of minutes. Add pearl barley, sauté for one minute and add water, tomato sauce, turmeric, agave, no chicken paste, no beef paste, parsley,

Cumin and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Add cilantro and serve.