Vegetarian Barley Soup

I love a warm, hearty soup, and this vegetarian barley soup hits the spot for me! The longer you cook it, the creamier and richer tasting it becomes.

Though I made this on the stove top, it would also be a great option to cook this in a slow cooker. What an amazing aroma to come home to after a long day at work!

Barley is not only delicious but adds an excellent source of soluble fiber which reduces blood cholesterol levels.

Fast facts on barley from Medical News Today

Here are some key points about barley. 

• Consuming barley might have benefits for the heart, blood pressure, and bones
• Barley may be useful in maintaining a healthy weight
• Barley provides a high percentage of an individual’s daily requirement of manganese and selenium
• Thanks to barley’s versatility, it is easy to incorporate into meals

With added vegetables like corn, lima beans, onions, carrots, and celery, this chowder becomes a powerhouse of phytonutritents and antioxidants that will help keep our bodies healthy.

This soup is great with my Country Cornbread.

When a group of people talk about cornbread for any length of time, the discussion will always get around to the question of whether cornbread should be sweet or savory. This is my favorite Country Vegan Cornbread recipe that can be made either way–sweet or savory!

Recipe is adapted from Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

To adjust the serving sizes of any of my recipes, simply go to the ‘Servings’ listed in the recipe card right above the ingredients list. Hover over the number of servings, and a sliding bar will appear. Slide to the number of servings you would like, and the ingredients will automatically adjust the amounts.

Nutrition facts per 1 cup serving

• Calories: 133
• Fat: 0.5 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.1 g
• Calories from Fat: 3.2%
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Protein: 6.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 27 g
• Sugar: 2 g
• Fiber: 7.1 g
• Sodium: 169 mg
• Calcium: 34 mg
• Iron: 2 mg
• Vitamin C: 2.1 mg
• Beta Carotene: 1244 mcg
• Vitamin E: 0.3 mg

Other Great Soup & Stew Recipes

• Smoked White Bean & Sweet Potato Soup
• Vegan Chili Bean Soup
• Vegan Cheddar Broccoli Soup

Plant-Based Starter Kit

5 from 1 vote

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Vegetarian Barley Soup

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 30 mins

Total Time

1 hr 45 mins

 

Barley is not only delicious but adds an excellent source of soluble fiber which reduces blood cholesterol levels. This soup is great with cornbread (recipe link included). Soup recipe adapted from Dr. Neal Barnard of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: vegetarian barley soup

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 8 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup lima beans frozen, fresh, dry
• 1 cup corn frozen or fresh
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1/2 cup dry pearl barley
• 1 Tbsp crushed garlic
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp Bragg's liquid aminos
• salt an peper to taste
• 1/2 cup whole wheat or rice pasta

Instructions

1. Dice the veggies--onion, celery, carrots, garlic.
   
2. Place all ingredients EXCEPT PASTA in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until barley is tender and broth is creamy, about 1-1/4 hours.
   

3. To make this in a crock pot, simply add all ingredients except pasta to a large cooker and allow to cook on low for 4-5 hours. Then, follow the last 3 steps of recipe.

4. Add the whole grain pasta of your choice and allow to cook an additional 15 minutes.
5. The longer you cook this thick and hearty soup, the creamier and richer tasting it becomes.
   

6. Serve hot. We like ours with cornbread. 

Recipe Notes

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