Vegetable Barley Soup Recipe

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.

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

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.

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

What Does Barley Taste Like?

Barley and pearl barley have a chewy texture with an almost nutty flavor, and it holds its bite for a very satisfying soup.

Both barley have their hull removed, but pearl barley is ‘polished’ to remove the bran layer. It’s high in protein, too.

Ingredients

• Pearl barley is the star of 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 to the soup.
• Diced Tomatoes add to the texture and meld 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 for 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 well for 4 months.