Slow Cooker Mushroom Barley Stew
A vegan mushroom barley stew that can be prepped in advance and cooked in the crockpot when needed!
Servings 6 as a side
Calories 175kcal
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 large carrots sliced
- 3 stalks celery sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 16 oz white button mushrooms quartered
- 1 cup pearled barley dry
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf can add 2 for more flavor
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt more to taste
Instructions
- Dice the onion and garlic, slice the carrots and celery, and quarter the mushrooms. If you are prepping this in advance to make at a later time, add these ingredients to a freezer bag with the dry barley. Add a label with the other ingredients you need and how long it will cook in the crockpot. Put it in the freezer and pull it out to thaw in the fridge a day before or the morning of the day you want to make the meal.
- Add the veggies and barley to the slow cooker with the broth, bay leaf, dried thyme, and salt. Stir, cover, and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.
- Taste the soup before serving, and add salt or pepper to taste. Enjoy warm with crunchy bread!
Notes
- This is intended to be a light and nutritious soup option, so you may find that you want to add or adjust the seasonings to your preference. If you are looking for more of a kick, add some lemon juice, fresh herbs, parmesan cheese, and/or hot sauce. Other seasoning ideas include garlic or onion powder, oregano, marjoram, and other dried Italian herbs.
- Store in the fridge for 5-7 days. Reheat for ~2 minutes in the microwave, or in a saucepan on the stove over low-medium heat. You can also freeze this soup for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- The barley will absorb more water the longer it is stored, so you may have to add a bit more liquid (water or broth) when reheating. If the soup gets congealed in the fridge, reheating it in a saucepan with a splash of liquid helps it return to its original consistency.
- Depending on your crockpot, the soup may take longer than mine did to cook and thicken. Check the progress of the soup at 3 hours on high, or 6 hours on low, and cook for longer as needed.
- Also, if you use hulled barley, the soup will likely take longer to cook than if you use pearled barley like the recipe suggests.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 872mg | Potassium: 516mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 5853IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg