• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Vegan in the Freezer

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • How To Freeze
  • Vegan Substitutes
  • Product Reviews
  • Free eBook and Subscribe!
  • About Me
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Vegan Substitutes
  • How To Freeze
  • Product Reviews
  • Free eBook and Subscribe!
  • About Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Soups and Stews / Hearty Vegetable Barley Soup

    Hearty Vegetable Barley Soup

    Published: September 20, 2014. Last Updated: June 1, 2023 by: Ginny McMeans

    • Facebook
    Jump to Recipe -
    Extra long photo of a closeup of barley soup with vegetables showing through the flavorful broth. A glass of iced tea is sitting next to the bowl.
    Vegetable Barley Soup is a side view of the rich brothy soup showing carrots, barley, tomatoes, spinach, and more. Beige bowl with a black interior on a dark brown wooden beaded mat.

    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.

    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.

    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Vegetable Barley Soup Recipe
    • Is Vegetable Barley Soup Healthy?
    • Warming soups
    • What Does Barley Taste Like?
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Can Vegetable Barley Soup Be Frozen?
    • 📋 Recipe
    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:

    • Spicy Vegan Pumpkin Soup
    • Red Lentil Dahl Soup
    • Homemade French Onion Soup
    • Baked Potato Soup

    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

    Vegetable Barley Soup is a great mix-up for your hearty and satisfying soup repertoire.

    Vegetable Barley Soup

    Ginny McMeans
    Vegetable Barley Soup is a great mix-up for your hearty and satisfying soup repertoire. 
    4.86 from 7 votes
    Print Save Saved
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins
    Course Main Dish, Soup
    Cuisine Vegan
    Servings 6 Servings
    Calories 199 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup pearl barley
    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • ½ cup yellow onion - diced
    • 2 cloves garlic - minced
    • 1 cup red bell pepper - diced
    • 1 cup carrots - chopped
    • 32 ounces vegetable Broth
    • 15 ounces diced tomatoes - can with juices
    • 2 bay leaf
    • 2 cups spinach - torn
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ground black pepper - to taste

    Instructions
     

    • In a medium pan, bring 4 cups of water and the 1 cup of barley 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 pot over medium heat.
    • Add the onion and saute 5 minutes.
    • Now add the garlic, red bell pepper, and carrots and cook until the carrots are getting tender, 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 about 10 minutes.
    • Stir in the cooked barley and the torn spinach.  Cook over medium heat or 15 minutes.
    • Remove the bay leaves.  Add salt and pepper.  Taste to check the seasoning.  Serve hot.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1ServingCalories: 199kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 7gFat: 3gSodium: 467mgPotassium: 552mgFiber: 7gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 5360IUVitamin C: 43.6mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 2.3mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Soups and Stews

    • Cauliflower Tikka Masala Soup is bright orange with swirls of thick vegan cream and parsley garnish.
      Cauliflower Tikka Masala Soup
    • Vegan french onion soup
      Vegan French Onion Soup Recipe
    • Slow Cooker Lentil Vegetable Soup is rich colors of brown and orange with vegetable like lentils, carrots and mushrooms.
      Slow Cooker Lentil Veggie Soup
    • Spicy Pumpkin Black Bean Soup is in a green bowl and has a cream spider web drawn in the top. Black beans are dotted in the center. Great Halloween visual.
      Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Anjali @ Vegetarian Gastronomy

      October 09, 2017 at 9:21 pm

      Oh YUM love this barely soup!!

    2. Brian Jones

      October 09, 2017 at 9:53 pm

      5 stars
      This is definitely a great time of the year, the change of seasons is always exciting as a cook, I love the look and sound of this soup! Yummy!!!!!

    3. Laura

      October 09, 2017 at 11:37 pm

      5 stars
      It is not that cold here either, but enough to have this wonderful soup

    4. Meymi-Pastry and Beyond

      October 10, 2017 at 1:55 am

      5 stars
      Such a nice way to eat all these healthy vegetables in one bowl!

    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube


    For years I dabbled in cooking vegan food, but since I became a mom it has become more important for me than ever. What I’m after is a great collection of healthy and not time-consuming vegan recipes that make the whole family look forward to meals together.

    Footer

    Boat Safe BBB Business Review
    Trustpilot
    DMCA.com Protection Status

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • Privacy Policy
    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • About - Contact
    • Work with Me