A hearty, filling, and delicious soup, vegetable barley soup is made with vegetables, barley, and flavorful broth. Chopped onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and sometimes potatoes are used as vegetables, while thyme, bay leaf, and garlic can be added as seasonings. The soup gets its nutty and chewy texture from the barley, which also provides protein and fiber.

Vegetable Barley Soup in a side view of the rich brothy soup showing vegetables.

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Why You'll Love This Vegetable Barley Soup Recipe

Nutritious and Healthy- This vegetable barley soup recipe is packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber that boost immunity, digestion, and overall health. It's also a great way to incorporate vegetables into your diet.

Versatile- Barley soup with vegetables is versatile, and you can use any vegetables you have on hand. You can also swap the barley with other grains like brown rice or quinoa.

Easy to Make- The recipe is straightforward and doesn't require any special cooking skills or techniques. You can make it on a stovetop or even in a slow cooker.

Delicious- The combination of vegetables, herbs, and spices gives this vegan barley soup a hearty, savory, and satisfying flavor that many people would enjoy.

I have been waiting and waiting for cooler weather to get here. It is so fun to start combining this and that for stews, soups, and chilies. It makes us feel cozy and warm from the inside out.

Well, it's not that cool here yet but I know it probably is at your house.

I see pictures of people all over Facebook wearing long pants, sweaters, and boots so it must be that time. Right?

So I am taking advantage of the visuals and starting the fun early. We're enjoying spoonfuls of wonderful soup right along with you.

Vegetable Barley Soup in an overhead photo of a rich brothy soup showing vegetables.

Is Vegetable Barley Soup Healthy?

Absolutely! There are whole grains and high in fiber.

Low in fats and can be free of fat is you saute your onion, garlic, and carrot in vegetable broth.

Lots of with the veggies mentioned above there is also spinach, tomatoes, and bell pepper.

Warming soups

We eat a lot of soup during the winter months. A few of our favorites are:

I'd love to show you a picture of one of these soups. I was going to try to show the one that is the most popular on the blog.

They are all pretty much neck and neck so maybe I'll choose the one that has been on the blog the longest and is still being made like crazy. Oh my gosh, it's so good!

Homemade French Onion Soup with an overhead view.

So let's get back to a great whole grains and fresh vegetable soup.

What Does Barley Taste Like?

Barley and pearl barley has a texture that is chewy with an almost nutty flavor and it holds it's bite for a very satisfying soup.

Both barley's have their hull removed but pearl barley is 'polished' to remove the bran layer. High in protein too.

Vegetable Barley Soup with view of the rich brothy soup showing vegetables.

Ingredients

Pearl barley is the star for this soup and gives great texture.
Extra virgin olive oil adds flavor and aids in sauteing.
Yellow onion is the best base for so many recipes. They cook up sweet and taste great.
Garlic has a pungent flavor but when used sparingly it is delicious.
Red bell pepper is mildly sweet and adds a great flavor to your soup.
Carrots are sweet and cut into very small pieces for quick cooking.
Vegetable Broth adds flavorful liquid for the soup.
Diced Tomatoes add to the texture and melds the veggies all together.
Bay Leaf is an added herb flavoring and gets removed at the end of the cooking.
Spinach gives bulk and lots of nutrition.
Salt - a little bit goes a long way for this seasoning.
Ground black pepper is very spicy so don't use a lot.

Instructions

Add 4 cups of water and 1 cup of barley to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the barley is soft.
Drain and set aside.
While the barley is cooking, heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.
Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes. Then add garlic, red bell pepper, and carrots.
Cook until the carrots are almost tender which is about 10 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, and bay leaves.
Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in the cooked barley and torn spinach. Cook over medium heat or 15 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves. Add salt and pepper. Taste to check the seasoning. Serve hot.

Can Vegetable Barley Soup Be Frozen?

So easily.
Just let it cool and pack in rigid sided glass freezer containers.
It will keep really well for 4 months.

📋 Recipe