Vegetable and Barley Soup
It is rare that I ever find a recipe that I don’t feel needs some tweaking. Not with this recipe – it is perfect AS IS… Hands down, THE BEST vegetable soup I have ever made… Deborah
You will not miss the meat in this hearty, healthy vegetable and barley soup with fiber and protein-rich beans. I make a big batch and serve it as a meal-in-a-bowl for lunch all week. The best…
Normally I would make this soup with beef as in our Beef Barley Vegetable Soup, but I was determined to make a veggie barley soup version for Jenna (the other kook) who spends time worrying about the nutrition of her kids rather than herself.
What to expect
This simple soup is a great way to use up those limp fresh veggies in your fridge – whatever you have on hand. There’s no need to worry about exact amounts. The barley is filling and has a slightly nutty flavor and chewy texture.
Bottom line: This is a healthy, hearty vegetable soup with lots of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals – a complete vegetarian meal in a bowl – the whole family will love. Thick, comforting, and full of rich flavor. A perfect fall or winter soup meal prep recipe.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
Vegetables: In addition to (or to replace) the carrots, butternut squash and spinach, try parsnips, celeriac, green beans, pumpkin, or sweet potatoes. Softer veggies such as cauliflower, bell pepper or zucchini can be added about 10 minutes before the end of cooking
Barley: I use pearl barley (also called pearled barley) which is the most common type of barley sold in a grocery store. You can also use hulled barley and cook it longer. See FAQ or recipe card below.
Seasonings: I use thyme, basil, onion powder and tomato paste. You can also try oregano, bay leaves or celery salt.
Broth: Use vegetable broth or substitute 4 cups of broth with a 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes if you like. For a non-vegetarian version, you can use chicken broth, base, or bouillon cubes.
Beans: Any kind will do. I prefer white kidney beans or cannellini, but chickpeas, pinto beans or red kidney beans would be good too.
Step by step instructions
Shortcuts
- Buy fresh pre-peeled and cut butternut squash.
- Use frozen 1-teaspoon cubes of garlic and/or basil.
- Use the food processor for chopping the vegetables (as per recipe). Of course you can chop by hand if you don’t have a processor.
Make Ahead
- This vegetable barley soup can be kept in the fridge for a week and freezes well for a few months. I freeze it in smaller portions in zipper lock bags or containers.
- The soup thickens quite a bit on standing as the barley absorbs the liquid, so add extra broth or water if you want to thin it out a bit when you’re reheating it in the microwave or on the stove.
What to serve with vegetable barley soup
I love eating the soup with warm crusty bread slathered with butter. For me, that makes it a complete and satisfying meal. Naan bread, garlic bread, or cheese twists would also make nice dippers. You can also add a simple side salad or fig salad to round out the meal.
Recipe FAQs
No, barley is not gluten-free.
For pearl barley, the outer husk and bran layer is stripped away, so it’s not quite as healthy as hulled barley and not considered a whole grain. You can use either type of barley in the recipe. Hulled barley will need 15-30 minutes longer cooking time.
Good brands for vegetarian broth, based on taste tests by Epicurious, are: Brodo, Zoup, Better Than Bouillon sous base (mixed with water) and Swanson’s Organic Vegetable Broth.
More nutritious vegetable soup recipes
- red lentil soup recipe with vegetables
- curried lentil soup (instant pot)
- root vegetable soup with barley
- hearty ratatouille soup
- vegetarian split pea soup
- broccoli and cauliflower soup
Please leave a 5 star rating ***** with a comment in the recipe card below if you like the recipe, Thanks so much!
Vegetable and Barley Soup
Equipment
- large soup pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion
- 2 -3 cloves garlic
- 3 medium carrots, peeled, Note 1
- 3 ribs celery
- 2 cup butternut squash, peeled
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 8 cups vegetable broth, Note 2
- 1 cup pearl barley, Note 3
- 1 cup canned white kidney beans, Note 4
- 3 cups packed fresh baby spinach
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried basil (or 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh basil)
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
Instructions
- PREPARE VEGETABLES AND SAUTE: Cut onions, carrots, celery and butternut squash into 2 inch/5 cm pieces. Process vegetables in two batches in food processor. (Alternatively, dice all vegetables into small pieces.) °First, process garlic until finely chopped, then add onions and pulse into small pieces. In large pot, heat oil on medium heat. Add onions and garlic to pot and sauté for 3-4 minutes. °Second, pulse carrots, celery and butternut squash into a small dice (it's fine if a few pieces are larger). Add to pot and sauté another 5 minutes.
- COOK SOUP: Stir in tomato paste. Add broth, barley, beans and all seasonings. Stir. Bring to boil. Cover, then lower heat and simmer for 50-60 minutes until barley is tender and fluffy.1/4 cup tomato paste, 8 cups vegetable broth, Note 2, 1 cup pearl barley, Note 3, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1 cup canned white kidney beans, Note 4
- FINISH AND SERVE: Add baby spinach (I tear it up as I add it to pot). Stir until wilted, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust seasonings. Sprinkle on chopped fresh herbs if you like. Soup will thicken upon standing or in fridge the next day. If too thick, add additional broth or water. Ladle into bowls and serve with warm crusty bread and butter or garlic croutons if desired. Keeps in fridge for a week. Soup freezes well in a freezer-safe container.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Vegetable options: parsnips, celeriac, green beans, pumpkin, sweet potatoes. You can also sauté mushrooms or celery with the onions. Or add cauliflower or zucchini about 10 minutes before the end of cooking.
- Good brands of vegetable broth: Based on a taste test by Epicurious, the best brands are: Brodo, Zoup, Better Than Bouillon soup base (mixed with water) and Swanson’s Organic Vegetable Broth. If you’re not a vegetarian, you can use chicken broth, bouillon cubes or base. You can also substitute 4 cups/1 liter of broth with a 28-ounce/826 ml can of diced tomatoes if you like.
- Barley options: Instead of pearl barley, you can use hulled barley but the cooking process will take and extra 20-30 minutes (or more) to make the barley tender. Replace the barley with farro if you like – it will take only 25-30 minutes to cook.
- Bean options: Use any cooked beans for this recipe. I prefer white beans like white kidney beans or cannellini, but chickpeas, pinto beans and red kidney beans would be good too.
- Seasoning variations: oregano, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, or celery salt.
- Make Ahead: Store leftovers in the fridge for a week and freezes well for a few months in zipper lock bags or an airtight container. It thickens quite a bit on standing as the barley absorbs the liquid, so add more broth or water if you want to thin it out a bit when you’re reheating it in the microwave or on the stove.
Nutrition
This vegetable barley soup, originally published in 2018, has been updated with new information and edits.
Amazing flavors that keep getting better every day. I made a huge pot and my wife has been eating it for 4 days!!!
That’s just what I do! 🙂
Delicious and super easy to make. Thank you!
Made it with the ingredients as written (but I didn’t food process but cut the butternut squash into 1 inch cubes – and I used a whole fresh butternut squash – and then masshed some up to thicken the soup when it was done). IT IS DELICIOUS!!! Will add it to my soup arsenal. So so good! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Our pleasure! Thanks for taking the time to detail your method and results 🙂
If you cook the barley an hour until tender, won’t you get mushy vegetables? Is it smart to cook it a bit on its own and then add?
Hi Lisa, The vegetables get soft (which I like) but I don’t find they get mushy. If you prefer your veggies a bit firmer, you can cook the barley separately in water or broth then add it to the soup 10 minutes before it’s done. Or cook the barley in the broth first, then add the veggies 20-30 minutes before the barley is finished. Another option is to buy quick cooking barley if you can find it. I hope that helps.
I just made this soup for the 1st time. I haven’t added in the chopped spinach yet, but will when I serve it.
I tasted the soup and added a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Also split the liquid as you suggested, using 4 cups of low sodium chicken broth and a 28 Oz can of diced tomatoes. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed drain and rinse the can of white beans, but I did. I also added in 1 chopped sweet potato.
Tasting the soup, I felt it needed something more. So added a bit more salt and pepper. I also had 1/2 of a small lemon so I squeezed that into the soup and that did the trick – really amped up all the flavors!
I’m lazy and my countertops are not huge, so I chopped up all the veggies by hand rather than getting out the food processor and then having all those parts to clean up afterwards.
But if I plan ahead and get all the veggies ready ahead of time I’ll def use my food processor to save time.
All in all the soup tastes delicious, hearty, rustic and healthy. I will add some grated parmigiana when served, accompany with some rustic bread or croutons to go with. Thank you for this easy, healthy, colorful and beautiful soup recipe. I will def be making it again and again.
Perfect! I love your tweaks and enhancements! Thanks for sharing Susan.
As for rinsing the beans before you add them, while it’s not necessary, I like to rinse them to remove the extra salt and starch.
This of is a keeper folks…My family loved this recipe! I have it saved to make again. I did add an extra can of beans for more protein. Thank you for suggesting the croutons; It was a great combo!
Glad the family liked it! Great idea for upping the protein.
So hearty and delicious!
Perfect winter soup!
So many options to tailor to our own taste and what I have in the fridge .
A must ?
🙂 Thanks for the lovely endorsement Janet!
This is a wonderful soup that is a meal by itself especially in the winter months.
Thanks Roberta. I find it has a great warm and cozy vibe.
This soup was simply sensational. I made it for three college students and they literally licked the pot clean. Thanks.
Aww – thanks for taking the time to let us know. Always appreciated! So glad they liked the soup.
It is rare that I ever find a recipe that I don’t feel needs some tweaking. Not with this recipe – it is perfect AS IS. I used 2 leeks instead of onion as a personal preference and used half chicken broth and half vegetable broth. Hands down, THE BEST vegetable soup I have ever made. This will become a staple in my recipe repertoire. It is perfect as is.
Love hearing that Deborah! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a glowing comment.
In the Nutrition section, what is the serving ?
Serving: 0g seems incorrect.
Sorry Herve. There was a little glitch in the nutrition calculator on that recipe. The serving size is about 1/8 of the entire soup. Approximately 1 1/2 cups per serving. I hope that helps.
Excellent soup!! Have made a few times already and has become my FAVORITE soup.Still think you look like twin sisters.Have a great day.
I wish! But thanks Don – very sweet. And glad you liked the soup 🙂
The soup looks amazing, but I am not sure I am understanding the instructions in the beginning. The way it is worded is a bit confusing. It says you can chop the vegetables by hand, but then gives instructions for the food processor. Is it better to run the vegetables through a food processor? I would think you would have more control of the size by hand cutting them.
Thank you
Hi Andee. You can either chop the vegetables in the food processor (quicker and less even) or by hand if you don’t have a food processor or prefer to have more control over the size as you mentioned. I like to leave a few slightly larger pieces regardless, but that’s up to you. I hope that helps.
Can I make this in the instant pot?
Hi Rosa, You can definitely make the soup in an instant pot, but I haven’t tested it to work out the timing and measurements. Our recipe is delicious and popular, but it definitely takes more time than it would in an instant pot if that’s what you’re after. Perhaps you can google a similar recipe. At least until I get around to trying in an instant pot 🙂
Wonderful! We will definitely be doing this again!
Thanks for leaving a comment Jan. Much appreciated. Happy you liked the soup!
Looking forward to trying this recipe. Is it ok to leave out the tomato paste or would I need to substitute something if I leave it out? Thanks so much!
Hi Joanne, The tomato paste gives it extra flavor, but if you don’t have any you can substitute it with 1/2-3/4 cup tomato sauce or tomato puree. You can even use ketchup in the same amount (if you find the soup too sweet, add a splash of lemon juice to the soup). If you are looking to avoid tomatoes altogether, I would just add a couple of teaspoons of bouillon base (e.g. Better than Bouillon) or more seasonings and herbs to your taste. Hope that helps!
Excellent soup very easy to make. My family loves it.
Appreciate the comment Gail. Thank you.
This is a very flavorful recipe and quick to put together. Served with warm bread, it was a home run for my family. Thanks
Thanks for taking the time to comment Mary Joe. Glad it was a hit.
I just discovered you two kitchen Kooks the other day while looking for a vegetable barley soup recipe. I made the soup today and quite frankly its the best soup I ever made. Like a warm hug. Thank you and I look forward to trying more recipes.
So nice Lauren. Thank you! I hope you find other recipes you like too. I think you might like the root vegetable soup too if I can make a suggestion.
Delicious! I used kale and quick cooking barley and chicken broth. Finished with parmesan and drizzle of olive oil.
Thanks for leaving a comment Christen! Glad you liked the soup and made it the way you like it.
This is a delicious soup, thinking of making another batch of this, especially as the fall is approaching.
Gabor
Thanks Gabor. One of our favourites too!
This was so delicious. I used regular gold potatoes, navy beans and hulled barely because that’s what I had and it turned out so good. The flavor was incredible. This will be my go to barely soup from now on.
Thanks for commenting Tammy. So glad you like it.
This is absolutely DELICIOUS!!!!! I think it’s my favorite soup ever!
Music to my ears! Thanks Jennie. So glad you liked it!
Can you make this in the crock pot?
Hi Janet. The soup should be fine in a crockpot. Put everything in except the spinach. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Then stir in baby spinach if using until it wilts, about 1 minute. Adjust seasonings. Enjoy.
I made this tonight and it was one of the best soup I ever had. I had a leftover beef broth in the fridge so I used it for four cups of the broth, the other half was vegetable broth. I served it with baguette, pâté and cheese, it really made for a beautiful dinner.
That does sound delicious. So glad you enjoyed the soup. ?
Soup looks great, but help me understand, what is the point of having nutrition info if you do not have the portion size to go with it???
As the recipe is for 8, the portion would be 1/8 of the soup. I would say approximately 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cups per serving. The amount will depend if you add extra vegetables or broth. I hope that helps.
We made this tonight with chicken bouillon. It was so hearty and delicious! Definitely will be a repeat recipe. It was so easy with the pre-cubes butternut squash. Thank you! xxxo
Wonderful to hear! Thanks for leaving us a comment. I love the convenience of the pre-cut butternut squash too.
Can you sub frozen spinach for the fresh?
Absolutely. I’d say about 1/3 of a 10 ounce package. Or more if you like.
I made two batches of this soup tonight one for my family and one to take to a friend who is recovering from lung cancer surgery – the recipe was eased to follow and the only change I made was substituting frozen spinach for fresh – it was so delicious – thank you so much for this recipe!!
I’m thrilled to hear it Donna. Hope your friend likes the soup too. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. We really appreciate that.
Absolutely delicious!! Made it for the first time and will definitely make again. One of the best veggie stews I’ve made and I cook a lot!
Thanks so much for letting us know Sara. So glad you liked it!
I made this soup tonight it was yummy thank you
Glad you liked it ?