This easy barley soup recipe is a vegetarian and vegan option that’s heavy on the vegetables compared to classic beef barley soup. With a short ingredient list and simple process, it tastes old fashioned and comes together quickly! Whip up a pot of this nourishing meal for a healthy lunch or dinner that the whole family will love.
This recipe was originally published in October 2021. It was updated with new photos and tips in June 2026.
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I’m a huge fan of using soups as a vehicle for eating more vegetables, but sometimes I miss texture when eating blended veggie soups! That’s what inspired me to create a veggie-loaded option with a more interesting mouthfeel.
This barley soup with vegetables features a hearty grain that provides both a chewy texture and boost of dietary fiber. In fact, barley contains the same type of fiber found in oats—beta-glucan—that’s been shown to help reduce total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Adding barley to your diet may lower the risk of heart disease and keep blood sugar in check at the same time! (See the Roasted Asparagus Salad for another option.)
If that’s not reason enough to try this recipe, consider how DELISH it is too! With a slight nutty flavor from barley, tomato undertones, plenty of garlic, and dried Italian herbs, every spoonful is packed with flavor. Plus, I recommend quick barley so that your soup comes together a lot faster than the long process that beef and barley soup usually requires. While this rendition doesn’t taste just like the beef-based classic, it’s a great option if you’re short on time!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Extra virgin olive oil: Sub avocado oil if that’s what you prefer.
- Mirepoix: Also known as onion, carrot, and celery. I like using yellow onion, but you can sub red or white if desired. Even shallots or leeks would work.
- Garlic: Fresh is best when making a barley soup recipe, but you can sub 1 teaspoon garlic powder or up to 2 teaspoons of dried minced garlic if that’s what you have.
- Tomato paste: If you don’t have tomato paste, you can omit it, since there are also diced tomatoes in the recipe. Keep in mind the flavor won’t be as strong though.
- Oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper: Sub 1 to 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning in place of the dried oregano and thyme if desired.
- Canned petite diced tomatoes: Sub crushed or regular diced tomatoes if needed. For a little heat, use fire-roasted instead of regular.
- Vegetable broth: Use chicken or beef broth if that’s what you have and if you don’t need the recipe to be vegan/vegetarian. In my experience, Pacific and Whole Foods 365 are some of the best vegetable broth brands for soup. If you are limiting salt intake, choose a low sodium broth.
- Barley: To make this soup in under 30 minutes, use quick-cooking pearled barley. I use Quaker brand, and it works great. You can use regular pearled barley (like Bob’s Red Mill brand) but you will need to adjust the cooking time. These types of barley take closer to 30 to 45 minutes to cook compared to the 10 to 12 minutes that quick barley takes. Follow the instructions on the packages. Varieties labeled as pot barley also work! If you don’t have any kind of barley on hand, quick-cooking or regular farro work as subs.
- Frozen peas: Sub leafy greens or another delicate vegetable that you can add in the last few minutes of cooking.
Top Tip
If you have a well-stocked freezer, you can actually use ALL frozen veggies for this barley soup. For instance, if you followed my tutorials on How to Freeze Carrots and How to Freeze Celery, you may have these frozen veg on hand. You don’t need to adjust the cooking time if you use frozen vegetables, and you can add them directly to the pot from frozen.
The Best Barley for Soup
In my experience, pearled barley is the best option when making soups. Since the tough outer coating (hull) and bran layer are removed during processing, it cooks quickly but still naturally thickens soups by soaking up liquid and releasing starch. Pearled barley has a soft, chewy texture and milder flavor than hulled barley. It contains gluten and is considered a cereal grain but is not a type of wheat.
Due to its processing, pearled barley is technically a refined grain, compared to hulled barley that still has the bran and is considered a whole grain. However, it’s still quite healthy and packed with fiber, including beneficial beta-glucan fiber that’s concentrated in the endosperm and doesn’t get removed during processing. Barley is a nutritious grain option for soup and is better for you than white rice, although it’s not gluten-free like rice.
Some people prefer to use hulled, whole-grain barley since it is less processed and has slightly more fiber and nutrients. If you choose to sub hulled barley in this barley soup recipe, adjust the cooking time based on package instructions. You will also need to add more broth, since hulled barley will absorb more liquid during the longer cooking time.
How to Make This Barley Soup Recipe
The full recipe card is at the bottom of the post. Here’s a preview of the steps with photos to help guide you in the kitchen and tips on how to cook barley in soup (and how long).
Sauté the vegetables. Softening the mirepoix in oil builds flavor by releasing excess moisture and breaking down compounds. Cook them until the onions are translucent and the celery and carrots are brighter in color and slightly softened.
Add tomato paste and seasonings. Stir until the veggies are coated and cook only a few minutes until fragrant to avoid burning the garlic or tomato paste. Blooming seasonings, including garlic and herbs, in the oil will help activate the flavor.
Add the tomatoes and vegetable broth.
Sprinkle the barley into the pot.
Simmer the barley. Increase heat to bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Then, cover and reduce heat to low to maintain a simmer. There should be small, delicate bubbles on the surface and not large, frequent ones. Quick barley takes about 10 to 12 minutes to cook.
Finish with peas. Add them at the end, since peas are more delicate than the other vegetables and need a shorter cook time to avoid becoming mushy.
Add any other desired finishes. Parsley or lemon juice can also be added at the end to make it even more flavorful.
Ladle the soup into bowls.
Easy Variations
- Boost the protein: Stir in cooked, shredded chicken or turkey or a can of white beans or chickpeas at the same time as the peas.
- Make it creamy: Add a splash of heavy cream or coconut milk after removing from heat, before serving.
- Eat your greens: Mix chopped spinach, kale, or parsley into the soup at the same time as the peas.
- Add umami: Add chopped cremini or button mushrooms at the same time as the mirepoix. You may need to cook the veggies for longer until all of the moisture from the mushrooms has been released.
- Make it spicy: Add a pinch (or two) of red pepper flakes at the same time as the other seasonings, and/or use fire-roasted tomatoes instead of regular.
Storing and Freezing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. The barley will absorb liquid as it sits in the soup, so you will need to add some extra broth or water when reheating. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through, stirring frequently.
To freeze this barley soup recipe, let it cool completely then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Leave an inch of headspace to allow for expansion, and seal tightly. Freeze for up to 3 months. To freeze individual portions, use Souper Cubes. Let the soup thaw in the fridge before reheating in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
To reheat from frozen, transfer the soup to a saucepan with a lid. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching but gently enough to not turn the soup into mush.
More Soup Recipes
- Slow Cooker Mushroom Barley Stew
- Cream of Mushroom Wild Rice Soup (No Cream)
- Split Pea and Carrot Soup (Vegan)
- Veggie-Loaded One Pot Lasagna Soup
- White Bean, Sausage, and Kale Soup
- Potato Garlic Scape Soup
FAQs
- Is barley soup good for you? This recipe is packed with nutrients. It’s a good source of dietary fiber, specifically beta-glucan fiber associated with lower cholesterol levels. The variety of colorful vegetables contain antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
- Can this barley soup be made in a slow cooker? This rendition is not meant to be prepared in a slow cooker, since it contains quick-cooking barley. If you sub regular pearl or pot barley, you can try it in the crockpot, but keep in mind it won’t have as deep of a flavor that comes from sautéing the vegetables and seasonings. Combine everything except for the frozen peas in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. Add the peas at the end.
📖 Recipe
Barley Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Soup pot or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion - diced
- 3 medium carrots - peeled and diced
- 2 ribs celery - sliced
- 3 cloves garlic - minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ to 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 14.5 ounces petite diced tomatoes - with their juices
- 1 cup quick pearled barley
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Shredded parmesan cheese - for serving, optional (omit for strict vegetarian or vegan diets)
- Crusty bread - for serving
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the onion is translucent and the carrots and celery are brighter in color and slightly softened.
- Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant.
- Add the vegetable broth, tomatoes, and barley to the pot.
- Increase heat to bring to a rolling boil. Then, cover and reduce heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer with small, delicate bubbles on the surface. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the barley is tender.
- When the barley is finished cooking, take the cover off of the pot and stir in the frozen peas. Cook for 4 to 5 more minutes until tender but not mushy.
- Ladle into bowls, and enjoy! I like to serve the soup with crunchy bread and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- Barley note: You can use other types of pearled or pot barley that are not quick-cooking, but you will have to adjust the cooking time. Refer to the package instructions. Some brands take closer to 30 to 40 minutes to cook versus the 10 to 12 minutes required for quick pearled barley.
- Add protein: You can bulk up the soup with some white beans, chickpeas, or shredded turkey and chicken. Add these at the same time as the peas.
- Possible flavor additions: Parsley, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, a dash of cream or coconut milk.
- Storage and reheating: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through. Since the barley absorbs liquid while it sits in the soup, you will need to add some extra broth or a little water when reheating.
- Freezing: Let the soup cool completely then transfer to an airtight container. Leave an inch of headspace and seal tightly. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let the soup thaw in the fridge before reheating in a saucepan. To reheat from frozen, warm in a saucepan with a lid over medium-low heat. Stir frequently and gently, to prevent the barley from turning into mush, until warmed through.
MK
great soup! Just made it and love it. I added a few other veggies I had laying around and added a can of diced tomatoes.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Yum! I’m so glad to hear it was a hit.
M
Quick, delicious. Thank you for the recipe!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
So glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks for your review.
jason
Perfect for the first of December!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Kathy
This was nice and easy. I added 1.5 C ahredded cabbage because I had it left over. Allworked out well. I suggest you mention the time to cooke if one has used regular barley as opposed to auick barley. Thanks!
Aunt Karen
I’m that crazy “aunt” who makes/ eats soup all seasons! Barley soup is a favorite. I often use Quaker Quick Batley, I always add white beans, and sometimes diced tomatoes.
Thank you for the yummy recipe!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
I love soup all year round too!! Sounds like you make a delicious version of barley soup!
Natalie
It’s a good and easy soup if you have these staples in your fridge and pantry. Don’t be shy with the seasoning. Extra pepper, extra salt, extra oregano, extra garlic…literally however you want it (mild, medium, or even spicy).
Thank you for the recipe!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
I’m thrilled that you enjoy this recipe, Natalie!
Jwiltz
Absolutely delicious! I added cumin, coriander, and sage. It reminded me of Chicken Soup. Yum😋
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! The additions you made sound delicious!
Pam
This is delious, but is the potassium right as there is only 1 tablespoon of tomato paste in this and all the veggies are low potassium? Please advise
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Pam, I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! The potassium calculation per serving (approximately 2 cups) is correct. One tablespoon of tomato paste has about 160 mg of potassium. The veggies also provide potassium, but some are not that high in potassium. So, spread out over the whole soup, the amount of potassium per serving makes sense.
Maggie Ornduff
Where is all the sodium coming from? Seems super high..
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Maggie, thanks for your question…and good catch! It seems that the nutrition calculator was inputting a very high amount of sodium for the vegetable broth. I have adjusted it to the correct amount, which is now visible on the recipe card.