Spring Vegetable Soup with Barley from How to Cook Italian by Giuliano Hazan

Ingredients

• Freshly ground black pepper
• 5 cups homemade meat broth or ½ each beef and chicken bouillon cube dissolved in 5 cups water
• 6 ounces green beans
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 12 fresh basil leaves
• 12 ounces large red potatoes
• ½ cup pearl barley
• Salt
• 8 ounces small zucchini
• 4 ounces carrots
• ½ medium yellow onion