Vegan Mushroom and Barley Soup

Name: Vegan Mushroom and Barley Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 12 oz Crimini/Button Mushrooms (washed and sliced); 4 oz Dry Mushrooms (optional); 1 cup Pearled Barley; 1/2 lb Potatoes (peeled and cubed); 2 Carrots (peeled and cubed ); 2 stalks Celery (thinly sliced ); 4 cup Low Sodium Vegetable Broth; 2 cup Water or Broth (to cook the barley); 1 tbsp Garlic Powder; 1 tsp Dried Thyme; 1 tsp Celery Salt (sub with 2 tbsp of fresh thyme leaves); Salt and Pepper (to taste)

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This vegan mushroom and barley soup is a classic, warming and filling soup that's perfect for this time of the year.It is full of deep savory flavors, high in soluble fiber and is a great filling lunch/dinner. The soup is completely vegan and gluten-free.

A beige bowl full of the vena mushroom and barley soup topped with dill leaves. The bowl is placed on a brown plate. The plate is placed on a black and white checked towel. There is a sprig of dill leaves placed by the side of the plate.

What is barley and why use it?

Barley is a cereal grain which is chewy and nutty flavored. It is available as a hulled grain which still has the bran on and is called hulled barley. This type of barley tends to be higher in fiber since the bran is still left on but this also means the grains take a lot longer to cook.

The most popular version available in the market is the pearled barley. Here, the bran is already removed which makes it easier to cook. The fiber content is reduced but still provides some fiber content.

Barley contains a soluble fiber called Beta Glucan that forms a gel like substance when in contact with water/other liquids. Hence it may help improve heart health, digestion and control blood sugar as part of a balanced healthy diet. Personally, I grew up drinking barley water where water leftover from cooking the barley over the stove. It is known to be "cooling" to the body and provide benefits similar to eating the grains.

Ingredients for the vegan mushroom and barley soup

All the ingredients listed for the soup placed together.

Mushrooms - I used around 12 oz of crimini mushrooms. Other mushrooms you could use are white, portabella, king oyster mushrooms. You can also add some dried mushrooms in to the mix. For the latter, you will have to soak the dried mushrooms in hot water to rehydrate. Then keep aside the soaking water aside. Boil the mushrooms for 10 minutes or so before using it. Use the water used for soaking in the soup as well for extra flavor.

Barley - I used a cup of pearled barley. Pearled barley is more commonly available vs hulled barley. You can find pearled barley available at most grocery stores in the dry goods section. A quick tip would be search on Google for "barley near me" to find it in grocery stores near you.

Instead of cooking the barley in the broth, I decided to cook the barley in a pressure cooker. This cuts down on the time and is also a great meal prep option.

Other vegetables - I used a combination of potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic and celery.

Broth - I use a base of vegetable broth. You can also mix 1.5 tablespoon of veggie bouillon paste with 4 cups of warm water. Mix well until there are no lumps of bouillon left in the water.

Dried or Fresh Thyme - Use either fresh or dried thyme leaves to add flavor to the base.

Celery salt - Along with the mushrooms, celery salt is the real secret to the flavor. The concentrated celery flavor adds to the deep savory flavors. If you have never used celery salt, I would highly recommend giving it a try and this is the perfect dish to try it out.

Garlic Powder - Dried garlic powder adds concentrated garlic flavor to the soup. Try choosing garlic powder vs garlic salt which contains salt. This helps prevent

Avocado Oil - Use any neutral tasting oil as a substitute

Salt and Pepper

Process for making the soup

Pressure cook the barley - Place a cup of rinsed barley in the Instant pot and add 2 cups of water. Also add a ½ teaspoon of salt to the water and mix well. Close the lid and select the "pressure cook" option. Set the time for 20 minutes and wait for the steam to release naturally.

If you don't want to cook the pressure cook the barley, then just add it to the soup while the vegetables are cooking and cook for 40 minutes.

Prepping the vegetables - While the barley is cooking, cube the potatoes, carrots and thinly slice the celery stalks. For the mushrooms, wash them, remove the stalks and slice them fairly thick.

If using dried mushrooms, then soak them in hot water for around 20 minutes to rehydrate. Remove mushrooms from water and keep the water aside to add to the soup later. Now bring water to a gentle boil and add the mushrooms for 5 minutes. Remove from water and keep aside.

Making the soup - Heat a stock pot or a deep pan and add the avocado oil. Add the garlic, thyme leaves and sauté for 30 seconds. Now add the chopped onions and mix well. Let this cook for 4-5 minutes.

Now add the fresh mushrooms and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Then add the celery, carrots and potatoes. Mix well. Season with salt, pepper and let it cook for a couple of minutes. Add the celery salt and mix well. Pour in the broth and add the rehydrated mushrooms. Also add the initial liquid in which the mushrooms were soaked in to the pot.

If you decided not to pressure cook the barley, you will add the barley in to the pan now and mix well. Turn down the heat to low and close the pan with a lid. Check on the contents once in a while to mix well and add some broth if needed. You can cook the barley and the vegetables in 35 - 40 minutes. Once done, turn off the heat and serve warm with some bread.

Make it spicy - If you like to add more heat to the soup, add some red pepper flakes while the vegetables are cooking or add some cayenne, ancho chili powder depending on how spice level you would like.

FAQs

Can I use hulled barley?

Yes. You can absolutely use hulled barley vs pearled barley. However, since the hulled version still has the bran on, expect to use more broth/liquid and a longer time to cook the barley. You can also use other grains like farro or wild rice if you don't have any barley on hand.

Can I use any other vegetables to make the soup?

You can choose to use any vegetables of your choice. Other vegetables that I think goes great with this soup are sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, parsnips, butternut squash, acorn squash, delicata squash.

What else can I serve alongside the soup?

This is a pretty filling soup and can be served as a main alongside some warm, crusty bread and/or a fresh salad. You can also add some dollops of regular or vegan yoghurt on top of the soup. Serve the soup as a side to another vegan/vegetarian main if you don't find this too filling.

Is this soup easy to meal prep?

This vegan mushroom and barley soup is a great candidate for meal prep. You can prep the vegetables and freeze them to use with the soup at a later time. We can also easily freeze cooked barley. You could also make the soup and freeze it. Just follow the steps to reheat as mentioned below.

Storage, Freezing and Reheating tips

The vegan mushroom and barley soup is perfect for storing in the refrigerator and freezer. It can stored chilled for up to 5 days and frozen for up to 3 months in an air tight freezer safe container.

Reheat the soup in a pan over the stove top or in the microwave until thoroughly warm. If reheating from he freezer, let the soup thaw in the refrigerator overnight or let it sit out on the counter for an hour before reheating in a pan or in the microwave.

We are all about warming and delicious soups this season. Here are a few more that you might love - Veg Manchow Soup , Vegan Roasted Delicata Squash Soup, Vegan Dumpling Soup, Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese , Spicy Lasagna soup with Tofu Crumbles.

If you gave this vegan mushroom and barley soup a try, then please take a minute to let us know what you thought of it. This helps us out along with other readers as well. You can also leave any questions or suggestions below in the comment section.You can also follow along on social media at Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.

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