Celeriac Soup with Pearl Barley

If you've been wondering what to make with celeriac, this celeriac soup with pearl barley is a delicious and extra nutritious idea. It's very easy to make and super flavourful, just perfect if you love chunkier soups.

This celeriac soup with pearl barley is naturally vegan, super healthy and delicious recipe with wonderful earthy flavours.

While celeriac might not be the most popular vegetable out there, it definitely deserves to be more mainstream.

Even though raw celeriac has a nutty flavour, it becomes slightly sweet when cooked, which makes it ideal for both creamy and chunky soups.

Why you'll love this celeriac soup

• It's a one-pot meal that's super comforting. The addition of pearl barley makes this celeriac soup hearty and satisfying.
• It has rich, earthy flavours. This celeriac soup has a perfect balance of flavours with sweet and earthy undertones.
• It's naturally vegan and wholesome. There are no strange ingredients in this celeriac barley soup - just good old fashioned veggies and barley.

Ingredients and substitutions

Olive oil - Sautéing the veggies in a bit of olive oil is best for flavour, but if you don't cook with oil, you can use a bit of veggie stock or even water instead.

Onion, carrot and celery - I like to dice the veggies on the smaller side for this soup, but any size you like is fine.

Celeriac - You need a medium celeriac for this soup, which is roughly 600-700 g (1 ½ lb).

If you feel a bit intimated by the celeriac, don't worry, you're not alone. You can basically peel it like a potato, even if the skin is much thicker.

Another way to peel and cut celeriac is by cutting off the skin off with a sharp knife and then cubing the rest. You'll lose more flesh that way, though.

Aromatics - I use just a mix of garlic and fresh rosemary for this celeriac soup, but you can also add thyme, oregano and basil. Alternatively, use a tablespoon of

Pearl barley - You don't need to pre-soak pearl barley before adding it to the soup.

Vegetable stock - Use a good quality veggie stock or a homemade one for best results. You can make this soup with water instead of veggie stock if you really want the flavour of celeriac to shine through.

How to make celeriac soup with pearl barley

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven and add the onion, carrot and celery. Saute for 5-6 minutes over medium heat until the veggies soften slightly.

Stir in the celeriac, reduce the heat and continue to cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the garlic and fresh rosemary and continue to cook for another minute until fragrant.

Stir in the pearl barley and stock, then bring to a boil. Simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the barley is tender.

Use a potato masher or hand blender to mash some of the soup to make it thicker and creamier (optional).

Stir in the fresh parsley, season to taste and serve with toast or your favourite crusty bread.

Leftovers and storage

• This soup will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store it in an airtight container.
• You can reheat the soup on the stovetop or in the microwave. You may need to add some extra water or veggie stock because the peal barley will continue to soak up the liquid.
• The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Recipe Notes and tips

• This celeriac soup is hearty enough on its own thanks to the pearl barley, but it also goes down a treat with some crusty bread. You can also serve it with croutons.
• You can add some leek to this celeriac soup for extra flavour.
• If you want to make this soup creamy instead o chunky, use a hand blender to blitz it completely.

If you liked this celeriac soup with pearl barley, you might also like some of my other easy vegan soup recipes:

• Vegan Enchilada Soup
• Quinoa Vegetable Soup with Chickpeas
• Vegan Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Orzo Soup)
• Easy Vegan Potato Soup
• Creamy Vegan Chickpea Soup with Garlic and Herbs

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