Vegetable Barley Soup
Servings: 4
This vegetable barley soup simmers carrots, celery, mushrooms and quick-cooking barley in one pot with tomatoes and Italian herbs, then peas and kale go in at the end. It is ready in 50 minutes and tastes even better as leftovers.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 carrots diced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- ½ cup yellow onion diced
- 3 garlic clove minced
- ½ cup quick-cooking barley see recipe notes
- 1 cup baby bella mushrooms sliced
- 8 cup vegetable stock
- 1 tsp dried Italian herb seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cup diced tomatoes 28oz, undrained
- sea salt, unrefined to taste
- black pepper, ground ground, to taste
- 1 cup peas frozen
- 2 cup kale chopped
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil in a large stockpot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the carrots, celery and onion and cook until the onion starts to soften, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and barley and cook, stirring constantly, until the barley is lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and cook until they begin to release their liquid.
- Stir in the stock, Italian seasoning and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes with their juices and season well with salt and pepper. Raise the heat and cook until the barley and vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes more. Add the peas and simmer for a few minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the kale and let it wilt in the residual heat. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.
Notes
- Barley Swap: Regular barley works too. Add about 20 minutes to the first simmer, or cook until the barley is tender.
- Gluten-Free: Swap the barley for brown rice and simmer until the rice is tender.
- Slow Cooker Method: After toasting the barley, add everything except the peas and kale to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours, stirring in the peas and kale for the last 10 minutes.
- Storing: Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. The barley keeps absorbing broth, so add a splash of stock or water when reheating.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cups, Calories: 252kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Sodium: 1404mg, Potassium: 836mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 10732IU, Vitamin C: 28mg, Calcium: 116mg, Iron: 3mg
