This one-pot Barley Soup is packed with veggies, tender barley, and a flavorful broth. It’s delicious and satisfying! Top with fresh herbs, Parmesan, and serve with crusty bread. Enjoy!
This soup is naturally vegetarian (trust us when we say you won’t be missing the meat here!). If you are looking for a meat-filled barley soup, though, give our Beef and Barley Soup a try!
Try out this Vegetable-Barley Soup recipe, which is part of my collection of favorite soup recipes. Click here to see all the recipes in the collection.
Our Best Vegetable-Barley Soup
After a lot of indulging over the holidays, it feels good to return to a few more veggies. This soup is the perfect way to pack ’em all in! Carrots, onion, celery, butternut squash, and kale come alive in one pot!
But before you think this is a soup to endure in the name of healthy eating, believe me: this soup is the furthest thing from that. It’s lively, flavorful, and downright comforting! It’s a healthful recipe that doesn’t even seem all that nutritious. It really is that tasty.
So whether you’re looking to add more plants to your diet, avoid dairy or meat, or you just want a really delicious hearty bowl of soup–this recipe is for you!
Quick Tip
What is barley? It’s a delicious whole grain with a nice chewy texture and nutty flavor. A nice changeup from your typical rice or pasta in a soup!
How Long Does It Take To Cook Barley In Soup?
Barley takes about 30-35 minutes to cook when added to the simmering liquid.
For this recipe use pearled barley. “Pearled” means the barley’s fibrous outer hull and some (or all) of the bran layer has been removed. This type of barley requires less cooking time and absorbs the right amount of liquid in this recipe.
Avoid quick-cooking barley. It’s thinner and cooks faster. That means it will be mushy by the time the vegetables are cooked through. (If that’s all you have, add it later in the simmering time, but note it won’t have a chance to absorb as much flavor in the surrounding broth.)
Below are a few ingredients worth mentioning in this soup
Barley Soup Ingredients
- Barley (of course!). You’ll find this grain in the grocery store by dried beans and other dried grains. Pearled barley (as opposed to the quick-cook type) may be hard to source locally, so you may need to buy it online. (We love this brand and this brand of pearled barley.)
- Use a high-quality, flavorful stock that adds loads of flavor and allows us to cut down on spices or other additions. We highly recommend Swanson® chicken or vegetable stock — it’s our favorite! The stock makes a huge difference in the end flavor of this Barley Soup recipe.
Quick Tip
Completely optional flavor enhancer: Add a Parmesan rind. The rind on Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is a protective layer that develops on the outside of the cheese wheel as it ages. It’s technically edible but becomes tough to chew and very hard. That said, these rinds are packed full of flavor and do wonders for enriching the flavor of sauces, soups, and stews. If you have one lingering in your fridge, throw it in — you are going to love what it adds! Once the soup is done, remove the rind before serving.
Variations
Switch It Up!
Create your own Barley Soup using one of the suggestions below :
- Swap out veggies: Try some other veggies like sweet potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes or more of one of the veggies in the recipe. Another idea: switch out spinach for kale.
- Switch out the grain. Swap farro for barley–the cook time is very similar. (Farro may be done about 5 minutes sooner.)
- Add in a can of drained and rinsed white cannellini beans or chickpeas for more plant-based protein.
- Make Chicken Barley Soup: Replace the vegetable stock with chicken stock and stir through some shredded, seasoned rotisserie chicken at the end.
- Try Creamy Barley Soup: Give this Creamy Mushroom Soup Recipe a try, but replace the farro with barley.
Barley Soup FAQs
Yes! Add the uncooked barley directly to the soup pot for the best pearl barley soup. No need to pre-cook; it will cook perfectly in the simmering soup.
I rinse barley to remove any dust or dirt. It’s important to wash it in cool water before adding it to the pot. No need to pre-boil, but I like to heat the barley in the pot first to boost the flavor.
Barley has a great chew, but the center shouldn’t be hard, like uncooked rice.
Quick Tip
Serve a good crusty baguette or buttered artisan bread (like this No-Knead Bread), homemade Dinner Rolls, French Bread, or soup crackers/saltines alongside this Barley Soup!
More Veggie-Filled Soup Recipes:
- Potato Leek Soup with golden potatoes
- Vegetable Noodle Soup with peas and carrots
- Black Bean Soup with red peppers
- Vegetarian Split Pea Soup Recipe with the best seasoning blend!
- Curry Lentil Soup with red lentils
Barley Soup
Equipment
- Sieve or mesh strainer
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1-1/2 cups finely diced yellow onion 2 medium onions
- 1-1/2 cups chopped carrots 1/2-inch, 3-4 carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery 1/4-inch, 3 stalks
- 2 cups chopped butternut squash 1/2-inch
- Salt and pepper
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic 4 cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon yellow curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup pearled barley
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 2 (32-ounce) containers vegetable stock or vegetable broth, I love Swanson, 8 cups total
- 2 dry bay leaves
- 2 cups finely shredded kale
- Serving suggestions see note 1
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse barley in a mesh sieve or strainer under cool water. Shake off excess water and let stand in strainer to dry until ready to use. Very finely dice onion, peel and cut carrots to 1/2-inch pieces, cut celery to 1/2-inch pieces, and peel and cut squash into 1/2-inch cubes.
- Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Once oil is warm, add onion, carrot, celery, and squash. Season to taste (I add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper). Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and onion is turning golden, 5–7 minutes.
- Add garlic, curry powder, thyme, rinsed barley, and optional red pepper flakes. Sauté until fragrant, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add vegetable stock. Season again (I add 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper). Add bay leaves, then increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. The soup should be slightly bubbling, but not rapidly boiling. Simmer, uncovered, 30–35 minutes or until barley is cooked through and veggies are tender. Add kale for last 3 minutes of simmering.
- Remove from heat and discard bay leaves. Drizzle the last tablespoon oil and add lemon juice, if using (I like 2 tablespoons). Taste and season with more salt, pepper and/or red pepper flakes. Ladle into bowls and enjoy garnished with fresh herbs and freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Super simple and delicious. It’s a keeper.
Thanks
SO thrilled to hear you loved this barley soup! Thanks so much!
I made this once and it was wonderful! Also used spinach vs kale, as I had it on hand. Wondering if anyone has tried using frozen butternut squash to speed up the prep?
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Laurie! 🙂
Since the first time I made this soup my
husband asks me to make it again. Every
Sunday for the last 2 months I have made this
soup. Easy and Delicious
What a compliment! I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Katherine! 🙂
Hi Chelsea , I made this last night and it was Very Good . I substituted kale w/ fresh spinach . Kale is little hard on my stomach. I’m a first time viewer and have enjoyed looking at all wonderful recipes . Very healthy cooking . I like that 🙂 Thank you very much
Delish! SO happy to hear this was a hit! Thanks Peggy! 🙂
I wanted to print this recipe, but clicking on ‘print recipe’ button just opened the recipe in another window. Useless.
I’m so sorry! I am paying someone to look into it right now, but they haven’t been able to find the issue quite yet! You could copy the recipe into a word doc and print it from there until it is fixed! Sorry again!
Chelsea – the link to print the recipe isn’t working. This looks delish & can’t wait to try it!
Thanks so much for the comment Karen! I’m so sorry it isn’t working. I have someone looking into it currently and hopefully it is fixed soon!