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This mushroom barley soup is healthy, hearty, and deliciously comforting. It’s easy to make, flavorful, and will warm you up!

close-up of mushroom barley soup in a stoneware bowl

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.

bowl of healthy barley mushroom soup on a marble surface

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.

bowl of mushroom barley soup

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!

This mushroom barley soup is healthy, hearty, and deliciously comforting. It's easy to make, flavorful, and will warm you up!
5 from 7 votes

Vegan Mushroom Barley Soup

This mushroom barley soup is healthy, hearty, and deliciously comforting. It's easy to make, flavorful, and will warm you up!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Servings: 6

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.
     

Nutrition

Calories: 184kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 0.5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.002g, Sodium: 672mg, Potassium: 540mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 4414IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 39mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Hi! I’m Natasha.

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5 from 7 votes (1 rating without comment)

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34 Comments

  1. Nicole says:

    I have made this soup in my insta pot. It is delish!!

    1. Natasha says:

      🙂

  2. Sapphire says:

    this looks delicious! i was wondering, can it be frozen? and also can any grain be substituted for the barley?

    1. 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.

  3. Pauline Oetzel says:

    5 stars
    This looks so delish! Can’t wait to make it. Thank you for posting.

    1. Natasha says:

      Enjoy!!

  4. Signe Nichols says:

    5 stars
    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!!

    1. Natasha says:

      Wonderful! So glad you liked it.

  5. Andre I Benstrends says:

    5 stars
    This looks so delicious for any weather! A healthy pair to any full meal!

    1. Natasha says:

      Thank you!!

  6. Leigh Ann says:

    This soup looks so comforting! We have some warmer temperatures today but I could eat soup any time of the year!

    1. Natasha says:

      Same!!

  7. Jennifer Farley says:

    5 stars
    This looks like it would warm me right up! Thanks for sharing!

    1. Natasha says:

      Definitely! Thank you!

  8. Sarah Fennel says:

    This looks so comforting and warm!

    1. Natasha says:

      Thank you!!

  9. 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!

    1. Natasha says:

      Haha thanks. Yeah, I am so tired of winter!!

  10. Natasha's Sister says:

    5 stars
    You’re right that I’m mad. OUTRAGED. I’m cold. I need soup. Bring me some of this now.

    1. Natasha says:

      No.