This wholesome and renewing vegetable barley and lentil soup recipe is a hearty, one-pot vegan soup with nutritious, whole-grain hulled barley, French lentils, vegetables, and spices.
Minimally processed hulled barley is a plant-based favorite with abundant nutrition per calorie. Like other whole grains, more processed, quicker-cooking variations like hulless barley and pearl barley.
For some recipes like vegan barley mushroom soup or Instant Pot barley, it's easy to allow for the extra cooking time of whole grains. But cooking whole-grain barley with lentils is challenging unless you use the right lentils.
Traditional green lentils, often pared with barley, become too soft. Red lentils turn to mush by the time hulled barley is tender. You can soak hulled barley or sacrifice nutrition and use pearled barley. I didn't want to do either.
So, I turned to French lentils, which hold their shape and conveniently take the same time as hulled barley to cook. And because they've been tested in recipes like French lentil vegetable soup and one-pot brown rice and lentils, I knew they'd be good. I wasn't disappointed.
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Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- A hearty soup with deep flavors, made with whole-food ingredients and no added oil.
- The combination of vegetables, fiber-filled barley, and protein-packed lentils is a complete and healthy meatless meal.
- This soup is even better the next day, and it's freezer-friendly.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Barley. As mentioned, I used hulled barley, which is minimally processed and has the highest fiber and nutrients. Hulless barley is one step further in processing but is more nutritious than pearl barley. Think of the difference as that of brown rice versus white rice.
- French lentils. French lentils are ideal for this soup because they hold their shape even when simmered for a long time. If you want to make a substitution, I recommend whole mung beans in combination with hulled lentils.
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce. Fortunately, there are many brands available. For a quick substitute for this recipe, combine 2 teaspoons of soy sauce with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or 1 teaspoon of tamarind paste.
- Thyme. Hearty fresh herbs add a delicious flavor to soups and stews. I love adding a few thyme sprigs to tomato lentil soup. The leaves fall off the stems while cooking; then remove the stems like a bay leaf.
- Kale. I added kale at the end of cooking with 5 minutes more of simmering to soften it. You can also use frozen, thawed kale, or spinach.
- Vegetable broth. Use a good-quality vegetable broth or a few vegetable stock cubes. For a deeper flavor, try vegan beef broth.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
Recipe Variations
If you use green lentils for this recipe in combination with hulled barley, soak the barley first or use pearled barley (not a whole grain).
Step-by-Step Instructions
Set a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook the vegetables for 3-4 minutes. Then add the garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Stir in the tomatoes, vegetable broth, Worcestershire sauce, fresh thyme, and bay leaves. Stir the bottom of the pot to clear it, then add the lentils and barley.
Bring the ingredients to a simmer and cook for 35-40 minutes. The lentils and barley should be tender.
Stir in the kale and simmer for another 5 minutes. At this point, you should taste the soup and adjust the spices if needed.
Pro Tips
- Heat your pot to medium before adding the onions, celery, and carrots. This helps keep them from sticking. Stir them often. If they start to stick, add water or broth, a tablespoon at a time. The same goes for adding garlic and spices. This is my favorite oil-free sauteing hack.
- Stir the soup a few times as it simmers. Add more broth if needed. For thicker soup, simmer for longer.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this hearty soup as a main dish with a quick side of crackers. It's also delicious with slices of warm homemade wheat bread or spicy jalapeno biscuits.
If you are looking for side salads, I recommend carrot, raisin, pineapple salad, apple cranberry salad with spinach, or balsamic green bean salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, Grains like barley, wheat, and rye all contain glutenous proteins. This is why cooked barley has a creamy, chewy texture. If you follow a gluten-free diet, barley should be avoided.
Store lentil barley soup in an airtight container and refrigerate for 4-5 days.
Freeze barley soup in a freezer-friendly container or sealed freezer bags for 3 months. Thaw before reheating on the stove or in the microwave.
To make barley lentil soup in the Instant Pot or another electric pressure cooker, first set the Instant Pot to Saute mode and cook the onions, carrots, and celery. Add the garlic and seasonings, then turn the Instant Pot off. Stir in the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and broth, carefully clearing the bottom of the pot so there are no stuck-on vegetables. Mix in the lentils, barley, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs. Secure the lid and cook the soup on High Pressure for 23 minutes with 15 minutes NPR (natural pressure release). Release the lid, stir in the kale, and return the lid for 5 minutes to soften it.
To make this recipe in the slow cooker, cook the vegetables and add garlic and spices. Transfer them, plus the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. When it’s done, stir in the kale and cook for 5-10 minutes.
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Vegetable Barley and Lentil Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 medium onion - chopped (1 cup)
- 3 medium carrots - peeled and chopped (1 ½ cups)
- 2 stalks celery - chopped (1 ¼ cups)
- 3 cloves garlic - minced or pressed (1 tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika - or regular sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspooon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 28 ounces canned tomatoes - diced or crushed
- 2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce - (see note 3)
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 3 sprigs thyme - or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 medium bay leaves
- 1 cup French lentils - (see note 1)
- ½ cup hulled barley - (see note 2)
- 2 cups kale - chopped
Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot to medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook the vegetables, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes until they soften.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook for no more than 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, vegetable broth, thyme, and bay leaves. Stir the bottom of the pot to pick up any stuck-on vegetables and spices.
- Add the lentils and barley. Bring the ingredients to a simmer, cover the pot, and continue simmering for 40-45 minutes until the barley and lentils are tender. Stir occasionally and add more vegetable broth if needed.
- Uncover the pot, stir in the kale, and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove the thyme stems. Taste and adjust the seasonings if desired.
Notes
- French lentils have a similar cooking time to whole-grain hulled barley. I recommend soaking the barley for a few hours before cooking if you use green lentils.
- This recipe was developed using whole-grain, minimally processed hulled barley. Pearl barley is highly processed and quicker to cook. It's a good match for green lentils but may get too mushy when using French lentils.
- If you can't find store-bought vegan Worcestershire sauce, use 2 teaspoons of soy sauce in combination with 1 teaspoon of tamarind paste or 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.
- Store barley lentil soup in an airtight container and refrigerate for 4-5 days. Freeze for 3 months, thawing before reheating.
- Instant Pot Instructions: In sauté mode, cook the onions, carrots, and celery for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix well and turn the Instant Pot off. Stir in the tomatoes, vegetable broth, and Worcestershire sauce. Use a wooden spoon to clear the bottom of the pot. Mix in the lentils, barley, bay leaves, and thyme stems. Cook on High Pressure for 23 minutes with 15 minutes of natural pressure release (NPR). Stir in the kale and return the lid for 5 minutes to soften the kale.
- Slow Cooker Instructions: Cook the vegetables, garlic, and seasonings separately. Transfer to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Stir in the kale and return the lid. Continue cooking for 5-10 minutes until the kale is soft.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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