Vegetable Barley Soup

This nourishing vegetable barley soup is healthy, hearty, wholesome, satisfying, versatile, meal-prep friendly, and packed with flavor- perfect for chilly fall/winter evenings!

What Is Barley?

Barley is a cereal grain from the grass family. It is a small, chewy grain with a mild, nutty flavor with various uses, great to add to pilafs, or – as we’re doing here – eat it in warming, comfort-food soups and stews to make them super satisfying.

There are two main types of barley: hulled barley and pearl barley. The first, considered a whole grain, contains the seed inside the outer husk. The second removes the husk and some (or all) of the bran layer – meaning it takes far less time to cook and misses out on certain nutrients.

However, even hulled barley is nutritious. Not only is it loaded with gut-friendly fiber and a fairly moderate amount of protein (100g uncooked contains 12.5 g), but it also contains a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. Making it perfect for creating filling and nourishing meals, like this vegetarian barley soup.

Super Comforting and Wholesome Vegetable Barley Soup

As we inch towards winter, soups like Creamy Curried Carrot Ginger Soup, Lentil Potato Soup, and this vegetarian barley soup are go-to’s for low-effort meals on chilly evenings. Unlike many recipes, though, we’ve ditched all meat products for a vegan-friendly, super healthy yet hearty, comforting, nutritious, and surprisingly low-budget meal!

It’s fairly hands-off, too. After a small amount of initial veggie chopping, chuck everything in your soup pot and leave it to simmer to flavorful perfection. You can even ditch the stove and turn to crock pot vegetable barley soup instead.

Best of all, this vegan barley soup recipe is super adaptable and meal-prep-friendly. Swap out and add veggies based on what’s in season and in your house, add extra plant protein, and even swap out the barley for a simple vegetable grain soup that will never taste boring!

The Ingredients and Substitutes

Rely on simple and inexpensive pantry ingredients to prepare this hearty vegetarian barley soup recipe.

• Barley: Use pearl barley, not hulled barley, as the cooking times differ.

For a gluten-free option, use quinoa or rice (brown rice, wild rice, black rice, etc.). Other grains would also work, like farro, bulgur wheat, or millet, adjusting the cooking time/method accordingly.

• Oil: Use neutral cooking oil. For an oil-free version, use a splash of broth instead.
• Mirepoix: Create plenty of flavor in this barley vegetable soup with the classic cooking trio of onion (yellow or white), carrot, and celery.
• Garlic: Fresh is best, but you can use garlic powder in a pinch.
• Vegetable broth: Use your favorite store-bought or homemade vegetable broth (liquid or bouillon/stock cubes with water) – regular or low-sodium.
• Broccoli: Use fresh or frozen broccoli florets for extra nutrients.
• Cilantro: Use fresh cilantro to garnish, though parsley will work, too.
• Red pepper flakes: (optional) Add to taste. Alternatively, add hot sauce when serving.
• Salt & black pepper: (optional) Season to taste.

Can I Add Other Vegetables?

There are plenty of types of vegetables that will work within this versatile vegetable barley soup recipe, making it great for clearing out the fridge and freezer. We used a simple blend of carrot, onion, celery, and broccoli within this recipe, but you can also use:

• Cauliflower
• Potato or sweet potato (in ½-inch cubes)
• Butternut squash (in ½-inch cubes)
• Pumpkin (in ½-inch cubes)
• Cabbage (thickly shredded – added with the mirepoix)
• Spinach (added in the last few minutes)
• Bell pepper
• Mushrooms (sauteed with veg at the beginning)
• Green beans
• Sweet corn
• Peas (garden peas or Petit pois – fresh or frozen)
• Zucchini

We recommend adding up to 3 additional cups of vegetables for a super chunky vegetable soup with barley.

What Else Could I Add?

Regarding versatility, there are practically no limits to this veggie barley soup recipe, as you’ve already seen above with the veggies. So here is a bit more inspiration to make this recipe your own.

• More protein: You can add extra plant-based protein to this vegan barley soup either with pulses, like lentils or beans (kidney beans, white beans, chickpeas), or cubed tofu.
• More Flavor: To build upon or adapt the flavor of this soup, there are several ingredients to choose from, including:
  • Tomato paste or red pepper paste (for more acidity and richness)
  • Miso paste (for extra umami – white or brown miso)
  • Nutritional yeast (for umami, nutty, ‘cheesy’ flavor)
  • Smoked paprika (subtle smoky flavor)
  • Bay leaves (1-2 left to simmer, then removed before serving)
  • Dried herbs (like thyme, oregano, or basil. Add a pinch and increase to taste)
• Lemon juice: Serve this soup with a fresh lemon or lime wedge when serving. The flavor is subtle and yet really boosts almost any soup.  

How to Make Vegetable Barley Soup?

Make a delicious cozy bowl of soup in just five simple steps, using just one pot for minimal clean-up. It simmers until hearty and packed with flavor.

• 1) First, peel and dice the onion, slice the carrots and celery, and mince the garlic. If you’re using fresh broccoli, separate it into florets.
• 2) Add the oil (or a splash of broth) to a large heavy-based soup pot or Dutch oven and heat it over medium heat.
• 3) Once hot, add the onion and sauté it for a minute before adding the celery and carrot to sauté for another 4 minutes. Finally, add the garlic, and sauté for a minute.

• 4) Add the barley, broccoli, and vegetable broth to the pot, stir well and then cook over medium-high until the barley is fully cooked (about 25-30 minutes).

You can reduce the heat to medium/medium-low, but the cooking time will increase. When it’s ready, taste it, and add salt and pepper to taste if desired.

• 5) Add the cilantro (or parsley) and red pepper flakes when serving, and enjoy!

Enjoy a bowl of this vegan barley soup alone or with some crusty bread, cornbread, a sandwich, vegan grilled cheese, or even a simple side salad.

FAQs

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

• To thin the soup: Add extra vegetable broth until the vegan barley soup is your desired soupiness.
• For extra flavor depth: Allow the initial veggies to sauté until they begin to brown. Then, when adding the broth, scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan to get all that flavor in your soup.
• Use pearl barley: It takes less time to cook and has a more tender texture. If using hulled barley, you’ll need to increase the cooking time.
• When meal prepping: You may prefer to cook the barley separately and add it into the soup when serving, so it doesn’t have time to soak up too much broth in-between servings.

How To Store and Reheat

Store: Any cooled leftovers will store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Reheat: You can reheat this vegetarian barley soup in a microwave (between 2-4 minutes based on the portion size) or in a saucepan over low heat. Add more vegetable broth if the barley has soaked up too much while chilling.

Can You Freeze Barley Soup?

You can freeze the barley soup with vegetables for up to 2 months in freezer-safe containers, Ziplock-style bags, or even an XL silicone ice cube tray (then transferred to a bag once frozen).

Allow a portion to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating it. Alternatively, place the freezer bag/container in a dish of cold water until it comes loose from the sides. You can then transfer the semi-thawed soup to a saucepan to reheat over low.

Note, if you’re making the vegan barley soup specifically to freeze, you might prefer storing the grain and soup separately, so it doesn’t soak up too much liquid.

More Vegan Soup Recipes

• Pasta, Bean & Tomato Soup
• Veggie-Packed Potato Leek Soup
• Barley and Bean Soup
• Matzo Ball Soup
• Easy Vegan Pumpkin Soup
• Curried Carrot Soup with Noodles
• Vegan Split Pea Soup

Photos by Alfonso Revilla