Rustic Vegetable Barley Soup

Square overhead photo of vegetable barley soup with carrots, barley, and parsley in a gray bowl with a wooden spoon, surrounded by fresh herbs.

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This soup is packed with so many vegetables, including leeks, cabbage, potatoes, parsnips, and carrots, with chewy, nutty barley. It's half pureed at the end with an immersion blender for a beautiful rustic texture, and soy sauce and lemon juice stirred in at the end for bright flavor.

Servings: servings

Calories: 283kcal

Author: Elizabeth Lindemann

Equipment

Immersion Blender optional, or standing blender
Large Pot or Dutch Oven

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 onion diced (about 1 ½ cups)
2 stalks celery diced (about 1 cup)
2 carrots diced (about 1 cup)
1 lb. leeks trimmed and halved lengthwise, sliced, and washed well (see notes), about 3-4 cups
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried, plus more for serving
6 cups broth any kind will do - chicken, vegetable, beef, or a combination.
2 medium potatoes diced (about 2-3 cups)
2 parsnips diced (about 2-3 cups, or use more potatoes)
2 cups chopped cabbage
½ cup pearl barley rinsed, see notes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley plus more for serving
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the diced 1 onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 2 carrots, and sliced 1 lb. leeks, along with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté until softened and much of the vegetables' water has evaporated, about 10 minutes.
Add the minced 2 cloves garlic and 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves. Sauté until fragrant, then pour in the 6 cups broth. Add the diced 2 medium potatoes, diced 2 parsnips, 2 cups chopped cabbage, and rinsed ½ cup pearl barley. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low for 30 minutes, or until barley and all the vegetables are fully cooked. If soup is too thick after everything cooks, feel free to add more broth or some water.
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup no more than halfway right in the pot. You want there to still be plenty of texture, so don't go overboard with blending! Alternatively, you can use a standing blender to blend about 4-6 cups of the soup and add it back to the pot.
Turn off heat. Stir in the 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Serve, garnished with a bit more fresh parsley, thyme, and fresh cracked black pepper if desired.

Video

Notes

To make it vegan, use oil of choice instead of butter and be sure to use vegetable broth.
Use another grain instead of pearl barley - farro is very similar to barley. For a gluten-free alternative, try sorghum, quinoa, steel cut oats, or rice (and use a GF soy sauce). Keep in mind different grains need different amounts of time and liquid amounts to cook, so you may have to adjust.
Hulled barley can be used instead of pearl, but you should soak it first since it takes much longer to cook without soaking.
Add protein by using bone broth, and/or stirring in some white beans when you add the barley. You can also add some cooked shredded chicken if you like.
This soup is extremely flexible. Use the veggies you have on hand - onions instead of leeks, add mushrooms, omit anything you don't have, use turnips, celery root... etc. And I'm serious about using whatever broth. I used pot roast drippings I had stashed in my freezer for part of the broth! Keep in mind different vegetables require different cooking times and will impart different flavors to the soup.

Nutrition