Vegetable Barley Soup

There is something very comforting about vegetable barley soup. It evokes childhood memories for many and is a staple for people needing rejuvenation. It’s great for cold winter months and it’s simplicity is it’s shining point. It is both healthy and substantial. It helps that it is vegan and can contain any number of beneficial ingredients.

What are some key ingredients for vegetable barley soup?

Vegetable barley soup gets it’s signature richness from tomato based stock. We like to use vegetable stock to complete the back bone and structure. We use the standard onion, garlic, and celery and carrot. From there it can take a lot of directions. The main focus it that the vegetables work in harmony without any one ingredient becoming center stage.

• Barley. We like barley since it contains natural sugars to balance the rich acidity of the tomato base. it also gives a minimal carbohydrate appeal. You can substitute with rice.
• Potato. Gives a secondary starch contrast to the barley. You can omit if looking for a lighter version. celery root would make a good substitute.
• Zucchini and green beans. Round out the savory background vegetables. You can alternatively use mushrooms, cabbage, kale or swiss chard, kohlrabi, summer squash, and leeks for other choices.
• Aromatics. We like bay leaf and thyme for their ultimate background notes. Other fresh herbs that would do well in small quantitites: rosemary, sage, savory, marjoram are a few choices.
• We use vegetable stock in this recipe. If you aren’t concerned with keeping it strictly vegan, feel free to use a meat stock such as beef or chicken. You could also use ham pieces or base for flavoring. We also have a sister recipe here that uses beef.

Vegetable Barley Soup

Vegetable Barley Soup is a vegan healthy light meal!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 6 people

Calories 173 kcal

Equipment

1 sauce pan

1 wooden spoon

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 quart Vegetable stock low sodium
• 1 quart Water or more stock, optional
• .75 cups Carrots small dice
• .75 cups Onion small dice
• .5 cups Celery small dice
• .75 cups Green beans cut into matchsticks
• .75 cups Corn fresh or frozen kernals
• .75 cups Zucchini small dice
• 16 ounces Tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp Garlic finely chopped
• 1 tsp Sea salt
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• .75 cups Barley
• 2 pieces Thyme fresh, or dried .25 tsp
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 each Bay leaf
• 1 each Potato red or russet, small dice, optional

Instructions

 

• Prep the ingredients. Dice the vegetables.
  
• In a sauce pan, heat the olive oil and saute the onion, carrot, zucchini, celery, and garlic until translucent.
  
• Add the corn, thyme, bay leaf, green beans, salt, pepper, tomato sauce, and stock. Bring to a low simmer, and cook for about 15 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.
  
• Add the barley, and continue to cook about 15 minutes or until it has softened. Remove thyme and bay leaves and serve hot. Bon appetit!
  

Nutrition

Serving: 12ozCalories: 173kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 5gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 1409mgPotassium: 556mgFiber: 7gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 3584IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 2mg

Keyword barley, soup, vegan, vegetable

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