Sometimes a light and brothy vegetable soup is what's on the menu. Barley Lentil soup is an easy and delicious recipe filled with vegetables. If you're under the weather or it's a chilly day then this soup might just be for you.
If you think you'll enjoy barley lentil soup, then you'll definitely love Classic Italian Minestrone, Pasta Fagioli, or Creamy Mushroom Mascarpone Soup.
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Why This Soup
A lot of the soups I tend to make fall under the creamy or hearty categories. For the most part, I prefer to make a soup that I know is going to fill me up. I came up with the idea of this barley lentil soup when my wife was sick and needed something a bit more brothy without any meat. It's certainly not as filling as Beef and Barley Soup with Mushrooms, but it is equally as delicious.
This soup is the PERFECT soup if you're feeling under the weather! If you are looking for something heartier, try our EASY Chicken Farro Soup or White Bean Pumpkin Chili.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Diced Tomatoes. You can substitute canned plum tomatoes for the diced tomatoes. I just prefer something a little chunky. Crushed tomatoes, would not be my preferred choice here.
Cannellini Beans. You can substitute white northern beans or kidney beans here.
*Please see the recipe card below for more information on the ingredients.
Additions and Variations
Want to make this soup a bit heartier? Here are some ingredients you can add.
- Pancetta: Start by sauteing a little pancetta in the beginning before you saute the vegetables. Once the pancetta is golden brown, set it aside and add back in at the end. This will add a beautiful smoky taste to the soup.
- Spinach: Want to add more nutrients? Wilt some spinach into the soup once you complete it. Add spinach right on top and cover the soup for 2-3 minutes. Then stir into the soup.
- Creaminess: Use an immersion blender to break up the lentils and the barley once you simmered them for 15 minutes. Just pulse the immersion blender for 5 seconds and the lentils will break up a bit on the inside. We do this with our White Bean Lentil Soup!
- Chicken: Add chicken to this recipe by searing two chicken breasts before sauteing the vegetables. Then add them back in while you are simmering the sauce for the first 25 minutes. Remove them when you add the barley and lentils. Set them aside for a few moments and then shred them. Return the chicken to the pot when the barley and lentils are soft.
How to Make Barley Lentil Soup
Step 1: Add olive oil to the pot on medium-high heat. Stir in the onions, celery, and carrots. Give them 3-4 minutes to soften while you stir occasionally. Add a pinch of salt. Add a little salt at each step to bring out the flavor of the vegetables. This is important since there is no meat in this soup.
Step 2: Once the onions are slightly translucent, about 6-8 minutes, stir in the mushrooms. Allow the mushrooms to saute for 3 minutes or so. Then add the garlic in and saute for the final 2 minutes. Once you can smell the garlic, you'll know it's ready.
Step 3: Create some space in the center of the pot, and add your tomato paste. Spread it out so it's touching as much surface area as possible. Let it caramelize for 2 minutes then stir throughout.
Step 4: Pour in the diced tomatoes and bring them to a simmer for 5 minutes. Add the thyme and a little pinch of salt.
Step 5: Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Add the bay leaves. Lower the heat and bring the soup down to a simmer. Cover the pot leaving a place for the steam to escape.
Step 6: Simmer for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, add your barley, lentils, and beans.
Bring the soup back to a simmer for another 25 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and take the bay leaves out. Serve!
Pro-Tips
- Adding salt at each step helps bring out the flavor, especially in meatless dishes. A lot of time we hear people say you can just add the salt at the end. This is TERRIBLE advice. Salt will help increase the concentration of the flavor and should be layered into the dish.
- Caramelize the tomato paste. Doing this will increase the concentration of the tomato and the sugars in the paste making it less bitter and increasing the depth of flavor. Stirring it in once the broth is poured in is essentially useless. I explain this in detail in my Sunday Soup recipe.
What to Serve with Barley Lentil Soup
I love to serve this dish as a side dish. It's a great addition to the meal!
- Serve alongside some of your favorite Italian classics like Chicken Francese, Chicken Marsala, Italian Chicken Cutlets, or Chicken Saltimbocca.
- It's also a great side for your favorite seafood like Lemon Garlic Broiled Flounder, Pan-Seared Vermillion Snapper, or Pistachio Crusted Fish.
How to store and reheat
I love to freeze this soup because we don't usually have huge bowls of it. It's more of a side dish for us. Once the soup is cooled, store it in an airtight container.
Barley Lentil Soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 6 months.
This soup reheats creamier than when it was originally cooked. Reheat by placing the soup in a pot and bringing it to a simmer.
If reheating from frozen, add the frozen block to the pot with half an inch of water. Raise the heat to medium, slowly defrost the soup, and bring to a simmer.
Recipe FAQs
I tested this out with different amounts of these grains and although the soup was thicker the next day it didn't soak up all of the soup.
It's always recommended to rinse grains before cooking them. Rinse barley, lentils, and rice before cooking to remove any debris.
Creamier and Heartier Soups
Please leave a comment and star rating below in the recipe card! I love to hear what you think of our recipes. Feel free to tag us on Instagram @vindelgiudice.
📖 Recipe
Barley and Lentil Soup
Equipment
- 1 dutch oven or large pot
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ cup lentils
- ½ cup barley
- 1 14 oz can cannellini beans
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tablespoon dried thyme
- salt
Instructions
- Add olive oil to the pot on medium-high heat. Stir in the onions, celery, and carrots. Give them 3-4 minutes to soften while you stir occasionally. Add a pinch of salt. Add a little salt at each step to bring out the flavor of the vegetables. This is important since there is no meat in this soup.
- Once the onions are slightly translucent, about 6-8 minutes, stir in the mushrooms. Allow the mushrooms to saute for 3 minutes or so. Then add the garlic in and saute for the final 2 minutes. Create some space in the center of the pot, and add your tomato paste. Spread it out so it's touching as much surface area as possible. Let it caramelize for 2 minutes then stir throughout.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes and bring them to a simmer for 5 minutes. Add the thyme and a little pinch of salt. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat and bring the soup down to a simmer. Add the bay leaves. Cover the pot leaving a place for the steam to escape. Simmer for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, add your barley, lentils, and beans. Bring the soup back to a simmer for another 25 minutes.
- Remove the soup from the heat and take the bay leaves out. Serve!
Notes
- Always caramelize tomato paste. It needs to be cooked hot to get the most flavor out of it. It's a concentrate so the direct contact with the pot will bring out some of the sugars.
- Bring the diced tomatoes to a simmer before adding broth. This helps get them started on the cooking process and will help break them down slightly before adding the broth.
Vinny
Such a warm and hearty soup for the cold winter months! I hope you enjoy this soup!