Leek and Lentil Soup

As a self confessed "make up the recipe along the way" kind of person, I was really happy with the result of this soup because one, the leeks really did it proud and two, I was going to get such crap if I messed this up as it was the only soup on the table tonight! Phew.

Recipe:

1/2 cup yellow lentils
1/2 cup red lentils
1/2 cup barley
2 big onions
1 medium size leek
2 medium size carrots (shredded)
1 cup homemade chicken stock (please do not use stock cubes)
3 cloves of garlic
Small handful of fresh parsley
Small handful of fresh coriander
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
4-5 cups of water
4 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt
White pepper

Garnish:

Pita bread
Chopped parsley

Method:

Sweat the onion in olive oil, stirring in the lentils and barley. Add chicken stock, water, salt and pepper and leave to cook for an hour and half. In a frying pan, saute the leeks with olive oil, garlic, parsley, coriander and carrots seasoning with salt and pepper for 5 min. Add to lentil and barley mixture with lemon juice and continue to cook for 45 mins. Cut the pita bread into tiny crouton squares and fry in olive oil until golden, place on kitchen paper to absorb the oil. Serve the soup with croutons and chopped parsley.