Vegetable Barley Soup Recipe

Urvashee Patel | Dessarts

Vegetable Barley Soup makes a fantastic lunch or supper in the cold weather. Comforting and hot on cold days!

Vegetable Barley Soup Photo

I wished for it and it finally came…a nice big blanket of snow! I did not, however, ask for the single digit temperatures. How are you supposed to enjoy the snow with your kid when it’s so cold out? Oh well! If you can’t go out, then at least stay warm with this hearty vegetable barley soup. You can then fire up the oven and bring the winter fun inside by baking these chocolate snowflake cookies with the kids.

I have to say this soup makes a perfect lunch for when cold weather has you stuck in your house. I usually find soup to be very unfulfilling and it ends up being more of a side dish. I needed something that was more of a meal on its own. So I decided to experiment a little from my usual soups. By using beans and barley, I ended up with a tasty soup that was both filling and provided a good balanced mix of vegetables, fiber and protein.

This was also the first time I had ever used barley in anything. I immediately loved the texture of it. My first thought for adding texture to soup is usually to add tiny pasta but this tastes much better and is healthier. Barley is high in fiber and thiamin, both of which are important for intestinal health and controlling cholesterol levels.

Vegetable Barley Soup Picture

If you’ve never tried barley in your soup, I highly recommend it. Unlike pasta, it doesn’t feel mushy. It’s smooth and slightly chewy and adds a nice contrast to the softened vegetables. It was also a favorite part of the soup for my five year old so that definitely makes it a winning ingredient for me.

I’m thinking this soup is going to be the new winter favorite. It takes some time to make a batch but it’s mostly cooking time and involves little preparation. It makes quite a bit of soup so you can easily make it ahead and freeze it in small portions. This way you can pull it out for a quick lunch anytime!

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We think Urvashee's soup is just perfect on its own, but how about some Red Lobster biscuits to dip, or sour dough bread bowls to serve it in?


Disclaimer: This post originally contained a giveaway provided by KitchenIQ. It is now over. The views and opinions expressed by contributors on Food Fanatic are based entirely upon the contributor's experiences with KitchenIQ products. Neither the contributor nor Food Fanatic was compensated monetarily by the brand for this post, but the contributor did receive the items listed for review.

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Vegetable Barley Soup Recipe

    6 Servings

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup Pearled Barley
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 clove Garlic, minced
  • 1 small Onion, minced
  • 5 cups Vegetable Stock
  • 1 large Carrot, chopped
  • 1 Zucchini Squash, chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Oregano
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh Basil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Granulated Sugar
  • 1 cup Cannellini Beans, (canned)
  • 1 15 oz can Stewed Tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, chopped

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, soak the barley in water while prepping the remaining ingredients.
  2. In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion and fry until softened.
  3. Add the stock, drained barley, carrots, zucchini, oregano , basil and sugar and bring to a boil.
  4. Let the soup simmer for 45 minutes on low heat. The barley should be soft and cooked.
  5. Add the beans, tomatoes and vinegar. Break up any tomato chunks with a wooden spoon or spatula
  6. Salt and pepper to taste and let the soup simmer for another 10 minutes.
  7. Serve and garnish with parsley.

 

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Published:
Modified:
Author:
Cooking Method:
Simmered
Cuisine:
Winter
Category:
Soups
Tags:
, , , , ,
Related Recipes:
Soup Recipes, Vegetable Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes, Winter Recipes, Simmered Recipes, Freezer Meal Recipes
Recipe Yields:
6 servings
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Related Post:
Published:
Author: Urvashee Patel
Recipe Yields: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 75 minutes

Nutrition Facts

Servings Per Recipe 6

Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 28
Calories 143

% Daily Value*
5%
Total Fat 3g
1%
  Saturated Fat 0g
8%
Sodium 193mg
7%
Total Carbohydrate 20g
7%
  Dietary Fiber 5g
  Sugars 4g
8%
Protein 4g

* Percent Daily Value are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrition Facts are estimated based on ingredients and data provided by Fat Secret. Please consult a doctor if you have special dietary needs.
Urvashee Patel

About Urvashee

Urvashee blogs about delectable desserts on her blog, Dessarts. Lucky for us, she's sharing her delectable vegetarian dishes too as a Vegetarian Fanatic.

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