Rustic Vegetable Barley Soup (Printable)

Comforting blend of barley, mushrooms, and fresh vegetables simmered to tender perfection.

# Components:

→ Grains

01 - 3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
05 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 8 ounces cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
08 - 1 large potato, peeled and diced
09 - 1 zucchini, diced
10 - 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice
11 - 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
12 - 6 cups vegetable broth

→ Spices & Herbs

13 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 bay leaf
16 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
17 - 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
18 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and sliced mushrooms. Cook for another 5 minutes, allowing the mushrooms to release their moisture and reduce in size.
03 - Add diced potato, zucchini, green beans, and canned diced tomatoes with juice. Stir to combine all ingredients.
04 - Pour in vegetable broth and add pearl barley, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Stir well to distribute ingredients evenly.
05 - Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until barley and vegetables are tender.
06 - Remove bay leaf from the pot. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed with additional salt and pepper.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It fills your kitchen with an earthy, savory aroma that makes everyone stop and ask what's cooking.
  • The barley becomes impossibly tender and creamy without any cream, making it satisfying and naturally wholesome.
  • You can prep everything in one sitting and let the pot do the work while you relax or get other things done.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the barley—I made that mistake once and ended up with a starchy, cloudy broth that wasn't as clear or appetizing.
  • Add the zucchini in step 3, not earlier, because it will dissolve into nothing if it simmers for 45 minutes; timing matters here.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning at the very end because the broth concentrates as it simmers, and what seemed perfectly salted might taste too strong.
03 -
  • Use a mix of cremini and white mushrooms if you can find them, because the variety adds more complex earthiness than using just one type.
  • Don't rush the initial sauté of the onions, carrots, and celery—giving them time to soften properly builds the flavor foundation that makes everything taste better.
  • Taste the broth before serving and remember that salt brings out all the subtle flavors that might otherwise stay hidden, but it's easy to oversalt, so go slowly.
Return