Mushroom Barley Soup

This mushroom barley soup is hearty, delicious and extra healthy. Made with crimini and shiitake mushrooms, the soup has rich flavors and can be made ahead as leftovers taste amazing.

Mushroom barley soup is comfort soup in a bowl! It's a delicious and hearty soup that's also super easy to make.

The pearl barley makes it satisfying, but you can also enjoy it with a chunk of crusty bread.

This vegan barley soup is also super easy to customize with any leftover veggies you may have in the fridge.

Like all good soups, it has a base of onions, carrots and celery, but you can add any seasonal veggies you like, such as zucchini, sweet potatoes, or butternut squash.

I used two types of mushrooms to make it for extra flavor, but you can definitely use whatever kind of mushroom you have handy.

Why you'll love this mushroom barley soup

• It's a budget-friendly soup made with staple ingredients.
• You can make it in advance as the soup tastes fantastic the next day.
• It has loads of vitamins and minerals from the veggies and fiber from the pearl barley for an extra nutritious bowl of goodness.

Ingredients and substitutions

Olive oil - You need a bit of olive oil to saute the veggies in. This sets up a perfect flavor base for this vegan barley soup, but if you don't cook with oil, you can saute the veggies in a bit of veggie stock instead.

Onion, carrot and celery - I like to dice the veggies on the smaller side so they cook quicker but feel free to cut them into larger chunks.

Garlic - Freshly chopped garlic is always best in soups like this.

Fresh thyme - I absolutely adore the garlic + fresh thyme combination in mushroom dishes. If you don't have any fresh herbs, you can use ½ teaspoon dried thyme or an Italian seasoning mix instead.

Mushrooms - I made this mushroom barley soup with a mix of crimini and shiitake mushrooms. Other great options include oyster mushrooms, baby bella mushrooms and brown mushrooms.

Tomato paste - Increase the amount of tomato paste if you want the soup to have a more pronounced tomato flavor.

Pearl barley - You don't have to soak pearl barley before adding it to this soup. However, it's a good idea to give it a rinse. If you want to use pot barley instead, it's best to soak it up for 8 hours or overnight.

Vegetable stock - Use a low-sodium vegetable stock as needed in this soup.

Baby spinach - Kale also works in this veggie barley soup, but it will take longer to wilt.

How to make vegan mushroom barley soup

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven and cook the onion, carrot and celery for 5-6 minutes over medium heat until softened.

Add the garlic and fresh thyme and continue to cook for another minute.

Next, stir in the crimini and shiitake mushrooms and cook for 8-10 minutes until the mushrooms reduce in size and are slightly golden.

Stir in the tomato paste, then add the pearl barley and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes or until the pearl barley is tender.

Add the baby spinach and cook for 1-2 more minutes until wilted.

Season to taste and serve, sprinkled with some freshly chopped parsley if you like.

Leftovers and storage

• Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
• You can reheat this veggie soup with barley in the microwave or on the stovetop. You may need to add extra veggie stock if it looks too thick (the pearl barley will continue to soak up the liquid).
• This soup freezes well. Allow it to cool completely, then place it in freezer-friendly containers and store for up to 3 months in the freezer.

Recipe notes and tips

• Sprinkle some freshly chopped parsley on individual bowls before serving for extra color and brightness.
• Other veggies that you can add to this soup include green beans, sweetcorn, and peas.
• If you don't have any pearl barley on hand, you can make this soup using brown rice or wild rice. Just make sure you follow the directions on the package regarding cooking times.

If you liked this mushroom barley soup recipe, you might also like some of my other easy vegan recipes with mushrooms:

• Creamy Oyster Mushroom Soup
• Vegan Mushroom Masala Curry
• Vegan Leek and Mushroom Pasta
• Mushroom Spinach Stir Fry
• Vegan Mushroom and Pea Risotto

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