This mushroom barley soup is healthy, hearty, and deliciously comforting. It's easy to make, flavorful, and will warm you up!
My sister actually came up with the idea of making this mushroom and barley soup. She's going to be mad when she sees this post and realizes I didn't share any with her.
Anyway, she's really missing out since this is one tasty soup. It actually helped get me through this awful cold I had recently, so the timing was impeccable really. 😀
I'll make some for her one day. Maybe.
This soup is really simple. It takes a bit of time for the barley to cook, but you just have to let it simmer for a while. No extra work required!
Pro tip: This soup reheats well, but the barley in this vegan mushroom soup recipe does soak up more of the broth the longer you leave it, so I suggest adding more veggie broth when reheating it if that bugs you.
Let me know if you will make this mushroom barley soup recipe! It's a really good winter warmer stick-to-your-ribs kinda recipe. 🙂
Looking for more vegan barley recipes? Try my roasted vegetable salad with barley (double as a meal prep idea).
Questions? Ask me below!

Vegan Mushroom Barley Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 2 large carrots peeled & chopped
- 2 sticks celery chopped
- 12 ounces portobello mushrooms chopped
- 7 ounces white mushrooms chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup uncooked pearl barley
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Prep your onion, carrots, and celery. Add them to a large pot along with the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, chop the mushrooms.
- Stir the mushrooms into the pot and sauté for another 5 minutes.
- Add the Italian seasoning, garlic, vegetable broth, water, and barley to the pot. Increase heat to high and bring the soup to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the barley is cooked (it should be al dente, not mushy).
- Season with salt & pepper as needed. Garnish with parsley if desired.
Notes
- The barley in the soup will soak up more water the longer you cook it (and especially if you leave it in the fridge for a few days). If the liquid level gets too low, I suggest adding in more vegetable broth.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Colleen says
How long can you keep in refrigerator before going bad! Only one eating it!
Natasha says
I would say no longer than a week for sure. I'd probably personally eat it within 5-6 days.
Nicole says
Just wondering do you think a combination of fresh and dried mushrooms would be good in this soup?
Natasha says
I think that would be good. 🙂
Cynthia Carr says
What is the nutrition information? Looks good!
Natasha says
Hello! Just added it for you. Please keep in mind that it's just an estimate with ingredients pulled from a database, and it may not be accurate. Hope you enjoy the soup! 🙂
Janet says
Looking forward to making this soup recipe. It sounds delicious.
Natasha says
Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Hope Abramson says
I’m making right now but adding kale! I’m excited!!!
Natasha says
Hope you love it, Hope! 🙂
Sabrina says
Hi! Could we substitute the veggie broth with mushroom broth? Thanks 😊
Natasha says
Absolutely! Hope you enjoy the soup. 🙂
Nicole says
I have made this soup in my insta pot. It is delish!!
Natasha says
🙂
Sapphire says
this looks delicious! i was wondering, can it be frozen? and also can any grain be substituted for the barley?
Natasha says
Hi! Yes, it's fine to be frozen. I would say you could definitely swap the grains... I would just be sure to test/adjust time as needed to make sure that it's not undercooked or overcooked.
Pauline Oetzel says
This looks so delish! Can't wait to make it. Thank you for posting.
Natasha says
Enjoy!!
Signe Nichols says
Made it! I did use cumin and paprika instead of Italian Seasoning just cuz it sounded good to me. Was an excellent soup. Thank you!!
Natasha says
Wonderful! So glad you liked it.
Andre I Benstrends says
This looks so delicious for any weather! A healthy pair to any full meal!
Natasha says
Thank you!!
Leigh Ann says
This soup looks so comforting! We have some warmer temperatures today but I could eat soup any time of the year!
Natasha says
Same!!
Jennifer Farley says
This looks like it would warm me right up! Thanks for sharing!
Natasha says
Definitely! Thank you!
Sarah Fennel says
This looks so comforting and warm!
Natasha says
Thank you!!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
Oh no! Your poor sister! You'll need to make her some. This is what we need right now! Temps are dropping and this would definitely warm us up!
Natasha says
Haha thanks. Yeah, I am so tired of winter!!
Natasha's Sister says
You're right that I'm mad. OUTRAGED. I'm cold. I need soup. Bring me some of this now.
Natasha says
No.