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This Vegetable Barley Soup is hearty, flavourful, and packed with veggies, barley, and herbs. It is cozy, nourishing, and perfect for a simple vegetarian weeknight dinner or meal prep for the week ahead.
Table of Contents
If you love easy, comforting soups, this Vegetable Barley Soup will be a recipe you come back to again and again. I’ve developed dozens of soup recipes for the blog over the years, from Vegetarian Lasagna Soup to Thai Coconut Soup and more. This soup recipe is one of the most reliable, budget friendly soups I make when I want something warm and filling.
The barley becomes tender and chewy as it cooks, while the carrots, celery, onion, and potato simmer together into a rich, flavourful broth. Everything cooks in one pot, and you can customize the soup with whatever vegetables you have on hand. It is hearty enough to enjoy as a full meal and makes delicious leftovers.
Recipe Highlights
- Hearty and satisfying: Barley adds the perfect chewy texture and makes the soup filling. For another hearty soup also try this Tuscan Tortellini Soup.
- One pot recipe: Made with 10 simple ingredients that simmer together in one pot with minimal cleanup.
- Wholesome and nourishing: Naturally high in fibre and packed with hearty vegetables.
- Freezer friendly: Great for stocking your freezer or prepping lunches for the week!
Key Ingredients
- Barley: you can use hulled barley or pearl barley. Both will taste great in this soup, it’s just a personal preference.
- Vegetable broth: I like to use low sodium vegetable broth so I can control how salty the soup is. Use any type of broth you like. You can substitute with chicken broth if preferred.
- Herbs de Provence: this dried herb blend is made up of rosemary, thyme, oregano and marjoram and is the key to giving this soup a cozy and herby flavour. You can find this herb blend at most grocery stores. Use extra herbs de Provence in a batch of this slow cooker lentil soup.
*This is a recipe overview. The full recipe with measurements is below in the recipe card.
How To Make Vegetable Barley Soup
Step 1: Sauté the onion and garlic in a pot on medium-high heat.
Step 2: Add the chopped carrots, celery and potato to the pot and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Step 3: Add the barley, herbs, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
Step 4: Add the broth to the pot and stir everything together.
Step 5: Bring the soup to a boil then cover and let simmer on low for 45-60 minutes until the barley is tender.
Step 6: Season with additional salt and pepper if needed and serve.
Recipe Variations
- Make it tomato based: Add a can of diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes like I use in this White Bean Kale Soup for a richer, heartier broth.
- Boost the protein: Stir in beans like white beans or chickpeas like I use in this Chickpea Soup toward the end of cooking.
- Add greens: Mix in spinach or kale during the last few minutes for extra nutrients.
How To Store
Store leftover soup in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To freeze, let the soup cool completely, then transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Add a splash of broth or water when reheating if the barley thickens the soup.
Jess’s Tips
- Sauté the vegetables: Let the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery cook for a few minutes to build deeper flavour.
- Adjust liquid as needed: Different barley varieties can absorb different amounts of broth, so add more broth if your soup becomes very thick.
- Soak the barley: If you want a quicker cooking time, soak the barley in water overnight. This should reduce the soup’s cook time to 20-30 minutes.
- Taste and adjust: Add salt, pepper, or a small splash of lemon juice if the soup needs brightness.
- Meal prep it: Double the recipe because it freezes well and makes great lunches all week!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can substitute barley with rice, quinoa, farro, orzo. Keep in mind that cooking times may change depending on what you use.
Yes. Sauté the vegetables first, then add everything to your slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Add extra broth if needed.
zucchini, peas, cauliflower, green beans, or leafy greens all work well in this soup.
Try These Soup Recipes Next
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Red Lentil Soup
If you tried this Vegetable Barley Soup or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!
Vegetable Barley Soup
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Boil
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Vegetable barley soup is a hearty vegetarian soup made with barley, potatoes and vegetables for a filling and nourishing meal!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 1 large celery stalk, diced
- 1 russet potato, peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 cup barley, rinsed and drained
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tsp Herbs De Province
- 2 bay leaves
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 cup peas or edamame beans (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot on medium-high heat, then add the onions and garlic and sautee for 2-3 minutes.
- Next add the carrots, celery and potato and stir together, letting sautee for another 2 minutes.
- Add the barley, vegetable broth, herbs de province, bay leaves, salt and pepper and mix, bringing the mixture to a boil for 1 minute.
- Reduce the heat to low then cover and let simmer for 45-60 minutes until the barley is tender
- Optionally stir in some frozen peas or edamame beans and let cook in the soup for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Add more broth if the soup becomes too thick as it cooks.
- Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, or a splash of lemon juice.
- Double the recipe for easy meal prep since it freezes well.
- Add any extra veggies you love.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 7g
- Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 47g
- Fiber: 11g
- Protein: 9g
So easy to make and SO tasty! will be making this one again.
A family favourite for a hearty and filling soup! Makes a perfect lunch.
Just finished making this soup and the flavour is amazing. The only thing is that the soup ended up being very thick so I added another cup of broth but it is still too thick.. much like a stew instead of a soup. I used pearl barley so I don’t know if that is the reason. I have only cooked with barley once before and the same thing happened so maybe I am doing something wrong. In any case, it still tastes amazing. I ended up adding green beans, green peas and corn to the recipe but no edamame as I didn’t have any on hand. The 4 stars are only because the soup looks nothing like your picture and is too thick.
Happy you enjoyed it Marnie! It’s likely because of the type of barley you’re using.
Can this be made in a crockpot? I would sauté the veggies first, of course.
Hi Lee, absolutely! Saute the veggies and then add everything to the crockpot for the day. You may need a bit more liquid if it’s simmering all day-if you find there isn’t enough soup liquid at the end you can always add in another cup or two of broth.