Nourishing Lentil Barley Soup

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Cozy up with a nourishing bowl of lentil barley soup filled with hearty, chewy barley, protein-packed lentils, savory mushrooms, and fresh herbs. Pair with your favorite bread like toasted sourdough or soft focaccia.

Growing up my mom was an excellent cook (well, she still is!). She made lots of amazing soups including minestrone, split pea, and lentil soups. This lentil barley soup recipe is dedicated to her because it reminds me of her incredible soups she would make me throughout the winter.

This vegan lentil barley soup is a nourishing, hearty dish I know you will love this fall and winter season!  

Looking for more cozy, delicious soups or stews? Try out these vegan soup recipes:

• Miso Dumpling Soup
• Creamy Tomato Gnocchi Soup
• Lemony Rosemary White Bean Soup
• Carrot Tomato Soup
• Savory Sage Mushroom Lentil Stew

Ingredients

Ingredient notes:

• Pearled barley: This is the most common barley you can find at the grocery store. There is also hulled or pot barley but this takes longer to cook so I recommend pearled for the best option in this soup.
• Lentils: If you didn’t already know, there are lots of lentil options! Brown lentils, green lentils, yellow lentils or red lentils…oh my! The difference between them is flavor and cooking time. I recommend brown or green lentils in this soup because they have a nutty flavor that pairs well with barley. Their cooking time is similar to barley as well, making them ideal for this soup. (If you want to try red lentils, check out this delicious Red Lentil Sweet Potato Curry!)
• Diced tomatoes: Ideally, fire-roasted diced tomatoes work best in this recipe. They are smoky, slightly sweet, and add a richer flavor to the soup. You can find them in the grocery store near the other diced tomatoes. Don’t worry if you can’t find them- regular diced tomatoes will do.
• Vegetable broth: You can use a lower sodium vegetable broth if you prefer. Lower sodium broth has less than 140 mg of sodium per serving (a regular sodium broth can have 800 mg!)
• Other flavor additions: Fresh herbs (thyme), bay leaves, spices, and more! If you don’t have fresh thyme, use a dried version instead (3 sprigs of thyme=1.5 tsp dried)

See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.

Don’t have barley or need a gluten-free option? Check out this list of the best substitutes for barley!

📝Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and carrots. Sauté for about 3 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Add in mushrooms and cook for another ~ 2 minutes until cooked down slightly.

Step 2: Add the minced garlic, fresh thyme leaves, ground cumin, smoked paprika, and ground turmeric to the pot. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until the spices become fragrant.

Step 3: Add the rinsed lentils and barley to the pot, followed by the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, and bay leaves. Stir well to combine.

Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let the soup simmer for about 30-40 minutes, or until the lentils and barley are tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Step 4: Once the lentils and barley are cooked, remove the bay leaves. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice for a bright and zesty flavor.

Serve this lentil barley soup hot, garnished with fresh parsley or cilantro if desired.

Tip #1: You can add in other veggies to this lentil barley soup such as diced red pepper, kale, spinach, and more!

Tip #2: Serve the lentil barley soup with your favorite type of bread of crackers. I love toasted sourdough or a soft, warm piece of focaccia.

❓Recipe FAQs

▶︎Serve this soup with this Autumn Harvest Grain Salad (Trader Joe’s Recipe)!

▶︎Cozy up with another wholesome meal like this Warm Winter Harvest Bowl with Crispy Chickpeas.

⇨ Other Delicious Cozy Recipes ⇦

▶︎If you love barley, you will enjoy these 30+ vegan barley recipes (including breakfast, dinner, and snack recipes!)

▶︎Have some extra lentils? Try out this Lebanese lentil soup!

Nourishing Lentil Barley Soup

Allie Petersen

This nourishing lentil barley soup is filled with hearty lentils and barley with flavorful fire roasted tomatoes and savory mushrooms for a delicious, cozy soup you will want to make all winter long.

5 from 19 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 368 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Large pot

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup dried green or brown lentils rinsed and drained
• ▢ 1/2 cup pearl barley rinsed and drained
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 medium onion finely chopped
• ▢ 2 large carrots diced
• ▢ 8 oz baby bella mushrooms sliced
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves remove stems*
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ▢ 6 cups vegetable broth
• ▢ 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes (fire-roasted for extra flavor)
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ 1/2 Juice of 1 large lemon
• ▢ Fresh parsley or cilantro for garnish (optional)

Instructions

 

• In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and carrots. Sauté for about 3 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Add in mushrooms and cook for another ~ 2 minutes until cooked down slightly.
• Add the minced garlic, fresh thyme leaves, ground cumin, smoked paprika, and ground turmeric to the pot. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until the spices become fragrant.
• Add the rinsed lentils and barley to the pot, followed by the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, and bay leaves. Stir well to combine.
• Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let the soup simmer for about 30-40 minutes, or until the lentils and barley are tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
• Once the lentils and barley are cooked, remove the bay leaves. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
• Stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice for a bright and zesty flavor.
• Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley or cilantro if desired.

Notes

⭐️If you don’t have fresh thyme, you can use dried (3 sprigs = 1.5 tsp dried)

⭐️ Fire-roasted tomatoes add so much flavor to this recipe! They are a little smokier and sweeter than regular tomatoes. If you can’t find these at your grocery store you can use regular diced tomatoes. 

 

Other tips:

• Be mindful not to overcook the lentils and barley, as they can turn mushy. Taste-test occasionally and remove from heat when they are tender but still hold their shape.
• Rinse the lentils and barley thoroughly under cold water before using them to remove any debris or excess starch. (This helps prevent stickiness/gumminess as they cook).

Nutrition

Calories: 368kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 18gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 1589mgPotassium: 1154mgFiber: 22gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 6283IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 106mgIron: 6mg

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