Description
This Rustic Vegetable Barley Soup is a hearty, wholesome dish filled with tender vegetables, pearl barley, and fragrant herbs. Perfect for a cozy meal, this soup combines the earthiness of mushrooms, the sweetness of carrots and celery, and the freshness of parsley for a well-balanced, nutritious bowl. Simmered slowly to meld flavors, it makes a comforting and satisfying option for any season.
Ingredients
Scale
Grains and Broth
- 3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed
- 6 cups vegetable broth
Vegetables
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 8 ounces cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
- 1 large potato, peeled and diced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Oils and Seasonings
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Sauté aromatic vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the vegetables soften and the onions become translucent, releasing their aromas.
- Cook mushrooms and garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and sliced mushrooms into the pot. Cook for another 5 minutes, allowing the mushrooms to release their moisture and reduce in size, blending their flavors with the sautéed aromatics.
- Add remaining vegetables: Add the diced potato, zucchini, green beans, and canned diced tomatoes with their juice to the pot. Stir well to combine all the ingredients evenly, ensuring they are well distributed.
- Build the broth base: Pour in the vegetable broth, then add the rinsed pearl barley, dried thyme, dried oregano, bay leaf, salt, and ground black pepper. Stir thoroughly to evenly distribute the herbs and barley throughout the soup.
- Simmer until tender: Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Let it simmer gently for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the barley is tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
- Finish and season: Remove the bay leaf from the soup. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning if needed, adding more salt or pepper according to your preference.
- Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish with freshly chopped parsley to add brightness and a fresh herbal note to the dish before serving.
Notes
- Rinsing the pearl barley before use removes any dust and reduces cooking foaming.
- Add other seasonal vegetables as desired, such as bell peppers or kale, to customize the soup.
- For a richer flavor, you can sauté the garlic and mushrooms separately before adding them to the pot.
- This soup stores well and can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Adjust salt content if using low-sodium vegetable broth to suit your taste and dietary needs.
