This Vegetable Barley Soup is cozy, hearty, and full of wholesome goodness! Packed with tender veggies and chewy barley, it's the perfect nourishing bowl to warm you up on a chilly day. Vegan.

bowl of vegetable barley soup with a spoon, garnished with parsley.

Why You’ll Love This

Vegetable Barley Soup is a beautiful balance of flavor, texture, and nourishment. As a chef focused on whole-food cooking, I love how this soup transforms simple ingredients into a hearty, flavorful meal that feels both comforting and restorative. The barley gives it a hearty, almost creamy body without meat or dairy, while layers of vegetables-carrots, celery, leeks, and greens-create a rich, aromatic broth as they simmer. It's one of those humble dishes that tastes like it took all day to make, yet comes together easily with wholesome ingredients.

Nutritionally, it's a powerhouse-high in fiber from the barley, loaded with vitamins and antioxidants from the vegetables, and naturally low in fat. It's satisfying without being heavy, making it perfect for a nourishing weeknight meal or healthy meal prep.

Best of all, it's incredibly forgiving and flexible-use what you have on hand, adjust the seasoning to your taste, and let the ingredients shine. A bowl of this soup feels like comfort and wellness in one spoonful.

Ingredients

ingredients for vegetable barley soup - carrots, parsley, onion, chard, garlic cloves, celery, mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, measuring cup with broth, small dish of spices, and small bowls of barley, vinegar, Dijon mustard, and tomato paste.
  • Vegetables: Onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, and garlic cloves build a savory, aromatic, and nourishing base for the soup.
  • Barley: Use pearled barley. If you sub with hulled barley, it will need 20-30 minutes (or more) of extra cooking time. Farro is another great substitute (cooking time will vary).
  • Fresh herbs: Fresh rosemary and fresh thyme add fragrant, herby, cozy flavor. Substitute dried herbs in a pinch. Garnish the soup with fresh, chopped parsley.
  • Tomato paste: Helps thicken the soup and impart a deep, savory flavor.
  • Dijon mustard: Adds a tangy, savory, and slightly sharp flavor.
  • Smoked paprika, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper: For a hint of smoky heat, savory depth, vibrant flavor, and peppery bite.
  • Broth: Prepare our homemade vegetable broth or chicken broth, or use store-bought. Good broth makes all the difference!
  • Swiss chard: For a hearty dose of dark, leafy greens. Substitute with kale or spinach.
  • Sherry vinegar: Or red wine vinegar, though it’s a little sharper, so start with a teaspoon, then taste and adjust. You could also try champagne vinegar or lemon juice.

Find a full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.

Variations

  • Make it gluten-free. Use brown rice or quinoa instead of barley.
  • Mix up the veggies. Add, or swap out, cauliflower, zucchini, bell pepper, green beans, tomatoes, peas, or cabbage.
  • Add beans for more protein. Add chickpeas, cannellini beans, white kidney beans, or lentils.
  • Add potatoes or winter squash. Yukon gold potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, or butternut squash make hearty additions.

How to Make Vegetable Barley Soup

1. Sauté the vegetables. In a large pot or Dutch oven, warm olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onions and celery for 5 minutes. Then, stir in the mushrooms and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes.

mise en place - wood board with minced carrots, celery, onion, garlic, mushrooms, and chard next to small bowls of barley, tomato paste, Dijon, vinegar, and spices.
Dutch oven with onions and celery sautéing with wood spatula.

2. Add herbs, spices, barley, and other seasonings. Add the rosemary, thyme, carrots, tomato paste, and Dijon mustard to the pot. Stir, then add the smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, barley, broth, bay leaves, and chard. If using spinach, wait to add it until adding the parsley.

building the base for vegetable barley soup - onions, mushrooms, celery, and fresh, minced herbs in Dutch oven with wood spoon.
making vegetable barley soup - Dutch oven with veggies, chard, tomato paste, bay leaf, broth, and pearled barley.

3. Simmer. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 40 minutes.

4. Taste and adjust. Add the parsley (and spinach, if using), then taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Add vinegar and stir.

Dutch oven with vegetable barley soup with bay leaf and fresh parsley.

Chef’s Tips

  1. Use pearled barley for quicker cooking. Pearled barley becomes tender in about 40 minutes. Hulled barley takes longer, requiring about 20-30 minutes more.
  2. Sauté the veggies slowly. Take a few extra minutes at the start to let the onions, celery, and mushrooms develop flavor. This is the foundation of a great broth!
  3. Adjust to your texture preference. For a thicker, stew-like soup, simmer uncovered for the last 10 minutes. For a lighter broth, add an extra cup of stock before serving.
  4. Season at the end. Once the barley and veggies are cooked, taste and adjust with salt, pepper, and a splash of vinegar to bring the flavors to life.
  5. Make it your own! Add beans for extra protein, swap in kale of spinach for the chard, or toss in seasonal veggies like zucchini or cauliflower.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this hearty vegan soup as a main course, garnished with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, pecorino cheese, or vegan Parmesan. Serve with warm, crusty bread or soft sourdough rolls.

For a little something extra, serve with a side salad, like our Butternut Squash Salad, White Cheddar Apple Salad, Waldorf Salad, or Beet and Goat Cheese Salad.

Storage

  • Refrigerator: Transfer cooled soup to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Barley will absorb the liquid, so you may need to add more broth when reheating. Taste and adjust for salt before serving.
  • Freezer: Leftover soup can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
  • To reheat: Reheat the soup in a pot on the stove over medium heat until warmed through. You can reheat in the microwave if preferred.

FAQs

Does barley need to be cooked before adding to soup?

No. Barley cooks directly in the soup, making this an easy, one-pot meal.

How long should you cook barley in soup?

Simmer, covered, for 40 minutes, or until the pearled barley is tender. Hulled barley will take 20-30 minutes longer.

Do I need to soak barley before cooking?

No, it is not necessary to soak barley. Soaking does not significantly reduce cooking time or alter the flavor or texture.

Are pearl barley and barley the same?

No. Pearl barley is a type of processed barley with its outer hull and bran layer removed. Hulled barley retains the bran and germ, making it a little higher in fiber and other nutrients. Hulled barley takes longer to cook, so add 20-30 minutes of cooking time if you plan to use it.

This Vegetable Barley Soup is cozy, hearty, and full of wholesome goodness! Packed with tender veggies and chewy barley, it's the perfect nourishing bowl to warm you up on a chilly day. Vegan.

More Cozy Vegetable Soup Recipes

After you try this Barley Vegetable Soup recipe, let us know how it turns out in the comments below. Your review will help other readers, too! Sign up here to join our community and receive our latest recipes and weekly newsletter! xoxo Tonia

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Barley Vegetable Soup

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 11 reviews
  • Author: Tonia Schemmel | Feasting at Home
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 8 cups 1x
  • Category: soup, stew, fall recipes, whole grain recipe, fall soups
  • Method: stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

This Vegetable Barley Soup is cozy, hearty, and full of wholesome goodness! Packed with tender veggies and chewy barley, it's the perfect nourishing bowl to warm you up on a chilly day.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 cup celery, chopped small
  • 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 3 cups (8 oz) mushrooms, cut into small pieces
  • 1 cup carrots, sliced in quarters or 1/2 moon slices
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried) or use oregano
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1– 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (adjust to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup pearled barley *see notes
  • 5 cups vegetable broth, or chicken broth (use a flavorful broth or add bullion)
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cups Swiss chard, chopped (or kale, spinach)
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1– 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar– a little sharper so start with 1 teaspoon or try champagne vinegar, or lemon juice
  • Garnishes- feel free to top with more parsley, a drizzle of olive oil, or parmesan or pecorino cheese.

Instructions

  1. Sauté. In a Dutch oven or large pot, add olive oil, sauté onions and celery over medium high heat for about 5 minutes until onions are fragrant and lightly golden. Stir in the mushrooms and garlic, sauté for another 3 minutes- stirring frequently, let the moisture mostly evaporate.
  2. Season. Add rosemary, thyme, carrots, tomato paste and dijon mustard. Mix in to incorporate. Sprinkle in smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, barley, broth, soy sauce, bay leaves, and chard (if using spinach, add in with parsley in step 4).
  3. Simmer. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook for 40 minutes.
  4. Finish.  Add parsley. Taste- adjust salt and pepper. Add vinegar to balance and brighten.

Optional Garnishes- feel free to top with parmesan or pecorino cheese. 

Notes

You can swap the pearl barley for hulled barley if you prefer, just note that it will need 20-30 minutes (or more) of extra cooking time to become tender. Farro is also an option- cooking time may vary. 

Tips for getting more flavor- Saute onions until golden brown. Let mushrooms cook until some of the moisture evaporates. Use a flavorful broth- homemade or add bullion. Add mushroom powder for deep umami flavor.

For a gluten free option try brown rice or quinoa.

Store soup in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days. Note that the barley will absorb the liquid in the soup, so may want to add more broth when reheating.

Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge. Add broth when reheating if desired.

Optional veggies to add or swap out: cauliflower, zucchini, bell pepper, green beans, tomatoes, cabbage.

Add beans for more protein: chickpeas, cannellini beans, white beans, lentils. You may need to add more broth.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
  • Calories: 138
  • Sugar: 4.3 g
  • Sodium: 375 mg
  • Fat: 1.9 g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 24.8 g
  • Fiber: 5.3 g
  • Protein: 8.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

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Comments

  1. Made a flavourful slow-cooked bone broth, and used that for this soup. Added some kidney beans too. Turned out amazing! Thank you.

    Reply

  4. Delicious hearty soup! We made this recipe as written and it turned out hearty and full of flavor. Thank you Tonia, your recipes are on repeat!

    Reply

  5. This soup is addicting! Made it as written and it is now on the Christmas Eve menu.
    Thanks again for another fantastic recipe!

    Reply

  6. We loved this soup. So tasty and easy to make. I am going to make again and freeze for holiday company.

    Reply

  8. Most excellent, hearty soup! I followed it exactly and added white beans for extra protein…one of my favorites now!

    Reply

  9. Super easy to make (one pot), great flavors, and healthy (added white beans for extra protein). Trifecta!

    Reply

  11. Delicious soup!! Another keeper recipe! I used my homemade veggie broth that was seasoned with fresh herbs from my garden (rosemary, sage and thyme) and I think that elevated the flavor. I used a combo of portobello and cremini mushrooms. Used kale instead swiss chard and Hungarian paprika because that’s what I had in my pantry. Thank you for another fabulous recipe!

    Reply

  12. So warm and comforting for a cold weather lunch and also healthy. Will make again! I made it as per the recipe with the addition of a can of chickpeas.

    Reply

  13. A perfectly cozy, nourishing soup and sweet memories of my mama’s homemade soup, as well. I followed the recipe and then added in some leftover shredded beef pot roast and mashed potatoes, along with beef bouillon and a good handful of red lentils. This nutritious dish is so satisfying!

    Reply

  14. Just made this and it’s terrific! I added a can of white kidney beans (for protein – vegetarian here) and about 1 1/2 cups of frozen, chopped lacinato kale stems. Not a huge fan of parsley so left that out. Absolutely delish!

    Reply

  15. Wow! It rained here in Southern California this week, so we were craving a nice hearty soup and this did not disappoint! I love any soup that contains barley in it. It makes a simple soup into a stoup.

    Reply

  18. I used kale and added chickpeas which made it too thick and more like a stew. Also, too bland. Sorry. Not a keeper.

    Reply

    1. Oh shoot Ingrid. I made some notes in the recipe card for coaxing out more flavor. The broth, sauteing/browning the veggies and aromatics, and finishing with vingear all make a big difference.

      Reply

  19. This is a good vegetarian barley soup which is simple and relatively quick to prepare (which is what I was looking for when I chose to make it). The veggie additions, chopped small, visually compliment the barley kernels, making for an attractive presentation. The Sherry vinegar finishes it off nicely. I discovered that I preferred the flavor before I added the parsley and will likely leave it out if I make it again. I confess that this is good but I didn’t think that it rose to the level of most of your other recipes. Nonetheless it makes for a tasty, simple and healthy dinner,

    Reply

    1. Appreciate your thoughts Mary. Did you change or alter anything? What do you think it needs?

      Reply

  20. I made this tonight with farro. Absolutely delicious. Served with warm sour dough bread. Great comfort dinner. Thanks Sylvia!

    Reply

  21. Lovely lovely soup! The broth is so good! Love the medley of vegetables. Thank you for the recipe!!

    Reply

  22. Absolutely fabulous soup! I used spinach and subbed a little lemon juice for the mustard. Fantastic

    Reply

  23. Sounds great. I’m making it tonight, adding a few chopped compari tomatoes and 1/3 cup green lentils.

    Reply

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