To prepare a paulas vegetable barley stew with lentils v stews recipe, first you will need to gather your ingredients. First, you'll need the following ingredients: 1 1/2 cups water 1 chopped onion 2 chopped celery stalks 1 cup chopped thyme 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon dried or fresh oregano 1 tsp. ground black pepper 12 teaspoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg 1 garlic clove 1 bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon dried paprika Instructions: Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent and the garlic begins to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped carrots and 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper. Cook and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Remove the vegetables from heat and add them to the stew. Simmer, covered, for 1 to 2 hours, or until vegetables are tender. Serve with sour cream, if desired.