Instructions: A meal in itself, this substantial soup really takes the chill off Chicago winters. Sometimes I add a dash of hot sauce or a little Parmesan cheese. For company, I garnish the stew with carrot flowers.

Combine the barley and 4 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.

Put a heavy stockpot over medium heat for about 1 minute. Spray it twice with the vegetable oil. Add the onion and carrots. Saute, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Stir in the lentils, bay leaf, ginger, dried herbs, and remaining 2 cups water. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low.

Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender.

Add the V8 juice, zucchini, peppers, celery, and tomato to the pot. Cook over low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Pour in the barley and its cooking liquid. Stir in the mushrooms, garlic, and soy sauce. Cook for 10 minutes more to thicken the stew.

Garnish with the chopped parsley.

Making Carrot Flowers: With the tip of a vegetable scraper, carve 4 equally spaced gullies into the surface of a peeled carrot lengthwise. Cut the carrot into 1/4-inch slices and scatter them over the stew after ladling it into soup bowls.

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