Chase away the winter chill with a bowl of thick and hearty Vegetable Barley Soup!
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My husband travels constantly for work, and I got to go on a quick trip to Oklahoma City with him last week. It was cold, but so fun!
I wasn’t sure what to expect. But after a couple days spent wandering around downtown OKC, I was impressed by how much there was to do and see. (Check out all the details of my Oklahoma City trip here.)
I can’t wait to go back sometime, although I’ll probably wait until the weather warms up first!
Unfortunately, I seem to have brought a cold home with me. At first, I thought my sniffles were brought on by the freezing weather, but nope, it’s a full-blown cold. Ugh.
Vegetable Barley Soup
I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing I crave more when I’m ill than a bowl of hot, comforting soup. And while I love everything from Lentil Soup to Tomato Tortellini Soup to classic Minestrone, this vegetarian barley soup is a fave!
Whether you’re sick or not, this Vegetable Barley Soup will warm you up from the inside out. It’s thick, hearty, and perfect for combating cold winter weather.
You are going to love this easy to prepare recipe! It’s packed with tons of healthy veggies, and unlike many Barley Vegetable Soup recipes, it’s vegetarian (actually vegan).
How to Make Vegetable Barley Soup
Tomatoes, basil, and oregano give this thick Vegetable Barley Soup a yummy Italian flavor, and the combination of vegetables, chickpeas, and barley make it stick-to-your-ribs filling!
One tip: be sure to use pearl barley, not quick-cooking barley. If you use quick-cooking barley, it will be finished cooking before your veggies are ready (no bueno).
Since it can be hard to find good quality vegetables at this time of year, I kept things simple and used a combination of fresh and frozen veggies.
The frozen vegetables work perfectly and taste fresh, but if the produce at your grocery store looks good, then feel free to use all fresh veggies instead.
This recipe is easy to prepare and most of the cooking time is hands off, which makes it just as good for busy weeknights as it is for relaxed weekends.
Are you serving a crowd? Then, this recipe is perfect for you. Use a large pot (this Calphalon Dutch Oven is my fave!), because this hearty Vegetable Barley Soup recipe makes a lot. Although even if you aren’t, any leftovers you have definitely won’t last long!
So chase away the winter chill (or a cold) with a big bowl of this Vegetable Barley Soup. It’s a recipe your whole family is sure to love!
This hearty Vegetable Barley Soup is packed with veggies and perfect for chasing away the winter chill!
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 carrots, thinly sliced
- 1 large stalk celery, thinly sliced
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups frozen cut green beans
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 2/3 cup frozen corn
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 2/3 cup frozen peas
- 1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley leaves, plus extra for serving
- salt
- pepper
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Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
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Add onions, carrots, and celery to oil; season with salt and pepper.
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Saute veggies until softened, about 5 minutes.
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Increase heat to medium-high; then add mushrooms and cook until lightly browned, stirring frequently.
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Stir in garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
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Add broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, green beans, barley, corn, basil, oregano, and bay leaf.
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Bring soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
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Cook soup until barley is tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
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Mix in peas and cook until tender and hot, about 1 to 2 minutes.
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Remove soup from heat and discard bay leaf. Stir in parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.
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Serve soup hot, sprinkled with additional parsley. Enjoy!
Love this Vegetable Barley Soup and Want More?
If you liked this easy Barley Vegetable Soup recipe, then check out all of my amazing Soup Recipes! I’ve got so many tasty options for you, from Minestrone to Beer Cheese to Tomato … and so much more!
Still want more? I rounded up 40 Hearty Vegetarian Soup Recipes right here!
Let me know if you try this yummy vegetable soup.
I’d love to know what you think!
What is your favorite sick day recipe?
Have not tried the recipe yet, BUT in the directions, some info is missing, e.g. when to add barley, chickpeas, green peas, corn, spices, tomatoes. Should direction #6 read: add (items listed above) to broth and cook soup, etc.?
Hi, Rita! I’m sorry the recipe was unclear. In step #6, you should add the broth through the bay leaf (from the above ingredient list), so add the broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, green beans, barley, corn, basil, oregano, and bay leaf. I hope that helps! Let me know if you try the recipe … I’d love to hear what you think!
Made this over the weekend it was AMAZING. What is the serving size? I’m adding to My Fitness Pal.
I”m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Gina! It’s definitely one of my faves, too. The soup serves 6 to 8 people and has about 304 calories (for 6 servings). Hope that helps! 🙂