All this talk of soup is making me hanker after a chicken soup with pearl barley. I haven't had pearl barley for ages and actually can't remember seeing it on sale any time recently. A forage down the health food section in Trasco may be on the cards
Last time I saw some in Twongos, News, it was up on a high shelf with quinoa, cous cous etc!
I agree that it is a 'must' for chicken soup, although we sometimes use those very tiny pasta shells for a change!