Vegetable Barley Soup

Vegetable barley soup topped with fresh herbs, coconut cream and homemade croutons is my go-to cozy hearty dish. Barely is one my favorite whole grains to make soups with. It is super hearty, high in fiber and packed with various vitamins and minerals. It is also great to use in stews. You can actually make this recipe and omit the 3 cups of water and that will give you a super thick stew like consistency. You can enjoy it with brown rice on the side or dip flat bread into it.

Print Recipe

Vegetable Barley Soup

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Servings: 5 people

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3/4 cup pearled barley
• 3 large tomatoes, diced
• 1 chopped jalapeno
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 5&1/2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup frozen mixed veggies
• 3&1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 cup broccoli rabe, kale or spinach chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Spices

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Instructions

• In a large pot on medium heat, add olive oil, onions garlic and stir.Add the carrots, celery, jalapeno, frozen veggies, spices, tomato paste and tomatoes.
• Stir everything and then add 3&1/2 cups of boiling water and bay leave. Bring soup to a boil.Then add the barley, additional 2 cups of boiling water and stir. Cover the pot and allow the soup to cook for at least 25 minutes on medium to high heat.
• Once soup has thickened add additional spices to your liking and enjoy! I topped my soup with some coconut cream, fresh herbs and croutons!