Vegan Vegetable Barley Soup

This hearty vegan barley soup is LOADED with vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, spinach, corn, carrots, and green peas + perfectly cooked tender barley. This delicious recipe is easy to make, it's high-fiber, oil-free, and ready to eat in less than 1 hour!

I love this vegan barley soup because it's loaded with vegetables! It's also super flavorful, easy to make, oil-free, and it's ready to eat in less than 1 hour! The soup is made with a mix of frozen and fresh vegetables like celery, onions, carrots, corn, green peas, potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, and green beans. The barley adds a delicious texture and makes it an extremely filling and satisfying meal. 

Ingredients & Substitutions

This easy vegan barley soup is made with a mix of fresh vegetables, frozen vegetables, and pantry ingredients. Let's go over some of the most important ingredients and substitutions if you need them. 

• Pearl Barley: I used pearl barley because it cooks quicker than hulled. However, you can use either for this recipe. If you want a substitute, you can use einkorn wheat berries, brown rice, quinoa, farro, white beans, or any small pasta like orzo. 
• Russet Potatoes: Potatoes make this meal extra filling, and I love the texture that potatoes add to slow-cooked soup. You could substitute with sweet potatoes if you prefer. 
• Frozen Vegetables: I used frozen vegetables (corn, peas, carrots, and green beans, and spinach) for convenience, but they taste great too! If you'd rather, you can use fresh vegetables instead of frozen. 
• Diced Tomatoes: The can of diced tomatoes and juice adds an extra layer of flavor. Fire-roasted tomatoes would be delicious to use too. If you need to, you could substitute 2-3 tbsp of tomato paste + 1 additional cup of water for the canned tomatoes. 

How to Make Vegan Barley Soup  

First, cook the pearl barley according to the package instructions in a separate pot. When it's done cooking, drain any excess water and set it aside for later (Photo 1). Next, saute the onions and celery until soft. Add the minced garlic, dry seasonings, and bay leaf and let it cook for a few minutes to toast the spices (Photos 2 & 3). 

Then add the potatoes, diced tomatoes with the juice, frozen vegetables, vegetable broth, and water to the pot (Photo 4). Bring it to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium, cover it, and let it cook until the potatoes are tender (Photo 5). Lastly, stir in the frozen spinach and lemon juice and let it cook for an additional 5 minutes until it's warmed through (Photo 6). 

Serving Suggestions

I usually serve this vegan barley soup with a couple of toasted slices of whole wheat bread for dipping, a salad with vegan ranch dressing, and a loaded baked potato topped with vegan sour cream and chives. 

How Long Does it Last in the Refrigerator? 

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and it should stay fresh for up to 4-5 days. Make sure to store the barley in a separate container from the soup in the fridge so it won't soak up all the broth. 

Can I Freeze It?

Yes, this vegan barley soup freezes perfectly. If you know you're going to freeze it, don't add the cooked barley to the soup. If you do, it will soak up most of the broth like little sponges. Instead, just freeze the soup (without the barley in it) in a freezer-safe airtight container in the freezer for 2-3 months. Then you can cook fresh barley to go with it when you defrost the soup.

How to Reheat It

From the Freezer: When you're ready to defrost it, take the container out of the freezer and let it thaw for 24 hours in the fridge. Then you can reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop. 

From the Fridge: Transfer the soup to a bowl and reheat it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot. Or you can reheat it in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it's warmed through. 

Slow Cooker Instructions 

To make this hearty vegetable barley soup in the slow cooker, you can put all of the ingredients except the frozen spinach and lemon juice, plus three cups of water (for the barley to absorb) into a large slow cooker and set it to cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours. Check the consistency at 3 hours. If you're happy with the texture, stir in the frozen spinach and lemon juice and let it defrost and warm for a few minutes before serving.

The barley will absorb more broth as it sits. If you don't want it to cook the barley in the slow cooker, you can cook it separately and add it to each bowl first before you ladle the hot soup over it. 

Notes & FAQ

• Gluten-Free: To make this recipe gluten-free, you need to substitute something like brown rice, quinoa, or small gluten-free noodles for the barley.
• What other vegetables can I add? Mushrooms, artichoke hearts, sweet potatoes, or chunks of zucchini would all be great additions. 
• Do I have to use frozen vegetables? No, you don't have to use frozen veggies. Fresh vegetables will work perfectly too. I used frozen for convenience. 
• Should I soak the barley before cooking? No, you don't need to soak it before cooking. Depending on what type of barley you use (hulled or pearl) will determine how long you need to cook it for. 
• Can I cook barley in the soup? You can, but I recommend cooking it separately and then adding it to the bowl before you pour the hot broth on top of it. If you cook the barley in the soup, it will absorb most of the broth and the consistency will be more like a stew. 

Success Tips

• I recommend cooking the barley separately so it doesn't absorb all of the broth. If you'd rather cook it in the soup, make sure you add an additional 3 cups of water or broth for it to absorb while it cooks.  
• Wait to add the frozen spinach until the last few minutes of cooking. You don't need to "cook" the spinach, we're just trying to defrost and warm it. I like to add it at the end of cooking so it keeps its bright green color.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or you can freeze it for a future meal.

Want More Vegan Soup Recipes? 

Vegan Barley Mushroom Soup 

Lemon Artichoke Orzo Soup 

Slow Cooker Jackfruit Wild Rice Soup 

Creamy Ginger Carrot Sweet Potato Soup

Vegan Vegetable Barley Soup

This hearty vegan barley soup is LOADED with vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, spinach, corn, carrots, and green peas + perfectly cooked tender barley. This delicious recipe is easy to make, it's high-fiber, oil-free, and ready to eat in less than 1 hour!

4.79 from 19 votes

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Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 226kcal

Author: Stacey Eckert

Equipment

• Medium Pot
• 6-Quart Dutch Oven

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup uncooked pearl barley
• ▢ 3-4 tbsp vegetable broth to saute (or water)
• ▢ 1 large yellow onion diced
• ▢ 4 medium garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 2 large celery stalks sliced
• ▢ 1 ½ tbsp Italian seasonings
• ▢ 1 tsp paprika
• ▢ 1 tsp dried parsley peeled and diced
• ▢ ½ tsp chili pepper flakes peeled and sliced
• ▢ 1 medium bay leaf
• ▢ ¾ tsp salt
• ▢ ½ tsp black pepper
• ▢ 3 cups russet potatoes peeled and diced
• ▢ 4 cups frozen mixed vegetables (I used a mix of corn, peas, carrots, and green beans)
• ▢ 14 oz can diced tomatoes with the juice
• ▢ 4 cups vegetable broth
• ▢ 1 cup water
• ▢ 8 oz frozen spinach
• ▢ 2 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

• Cook the barley according to the package instructions, drain any excess water, and then set it aside for later.
• In a large dutch oven, saute the diced onion and sliced celery in vegetable broth over medium heat until soft. Add the minced garlic, 1 ½ tbsp Italian seasonings, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp dried parsley, ½ tsp chili pepper flakes, bay leaf, ¾ tsp salt, and ½ tsp black pepper to the pot. Stir to combine and let it cook for 2 minutes to toast the spices.
• Add the potatoes, frozen mixed vegetables, diced tomatoes with juice, 4 cups vegetable broth, and 1 cup water to the pot. Increase the heat and bring it to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium. Cover it and let it cook for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
• Stir in the frozen spinach and lemon juice. Let it cook for about 5 minutes or until the spinach is fully defrosted and warmed through. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
• Add a scoop of the cooked barley to a bowl and then ladle the hot soup over the top and stir to incorporate the barley. Garnish with dried parsley before serving.

Notes

• I recommend cooking the barley separately so it doesn't absorb all of the broth. If you'd rather cook it in the soup, make sure you add an additional 3 cups of water or broth for it to absorb while it cooks.  
• Wait to add the frozen spinach until the last few minutes of cooking. You don't need to "cook" the spinach, we're just trying to defrost and warm it. I like to add it at the end of cooking so it keeps its bright green color.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or you can freeze it for a future meal.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 804mg | Potassium: 836mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 8544IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 4mg

Tried this recipe?Please rate it and leave a comment below if you have any feedback! If you post a picture on Instagram, please tag @Stacey_Homemaker and use the hashtag #StaceyHomemaker so I can see your delicious creation!

*This recipe was originally shared on 5/10/16, but I updated it on 9/27/20.