Mushroom Barley Soup is a comforting, hearty soup perfect for cool fall and winter days. It’s filling, nutritious, vegan, and packed with warming umami flavors. A steaming bowl of this soup will leave you cozy and satisfied.
When the temperature drops, soup is the instant comfort food many of us crave. This Mushroom Barley Soup is simple to prepare and full of flavor. It works beautifully with crusty bread, focaccia, or a light salad for an easy weeknight meal. Leftovers reheat well, making it an excellent option for lunches through the week.
Pearl Barley vs. Hulled Barley
This recipe uses pearl barley because it’s easy to find and cooks more quickly, but hulled barley is an option if you’d like more whole-grain nutrition. Barley is a grassy, nutty whole grain rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals — a nourishing addition to any soup.
Hulled barley retains the bran layer and is a true whole grain, while pearl barley has had the outer husk and bran polished away, making it lighter in color and quicker to cook. Pearl barley typically cooks in about 45 minutes, which is why it’s commonly used in weeknight recipes.
Ingredients — Mushroom Barley Soup
This is a straightforward ingredient list that highlights mushrooms and barley while leaving room for personal twists. The basic ingredients include:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Onion, celery, garlic, and carrots — a classic aromatic base (mirepoix or soffritto) for flavor depth.
- Mushrooms — Baby Bella, portobello, white button, or a mix. Combining varieties boosts flavor and texture.
- Salt and pepper — season to taste.
- Mushroom broth — offers concentrated mushroom flavor; vegetable broth or rehydrated dried mushroom soaking liquid are good stand-ins.
- Pearl barley — coexists well with mushrooms; you can substitute farro or brown rice if preferred.
Vegan Barley Soup Variations
- Use shiitake, oyster, king trumpet, or a mushroom mix for deeper, varied flavor.
- Add some dried mushrooms (porcini, morels) to boost umami.
- Stir in miso and soy sauce for richer savory notes.
- Include extra vegetables like zucchini, sweet potato, broccoli, kale, or spinach for added texture and nutrition.
- If the soup seems too thick, add more broth a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
How to Make Mushroom Barley Soup
This soup is forgiving and easy to prepare. Begin by heating olive oil in a large pot. Sauté the onion, celery, garlic, and carrots until the onion softens. Add the mushrooms and let them release their liquid and absorb the pan flavors. Pour in the broth and add the barley. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the barley is tender and the flavors meld—typically about an hour for pearl barley.
Tips for the Best Mushroom Soup
- Make it your own — adjust herbs, spices, or heat to your taste.
- Choose a good broth: mushroom or vegetable broth will enhance the overall flavor.
- For extra depth, add miso paste and soy sauce toward the end of cooking.
- Mix mushroom varieties for a more complex flavor profile and pleasing texture.
Can You Freeze Mushroom Barley Soup?
Yes. Once cooled, store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3–4 days, or freeze in airtight containers with room for expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Frozen soup makes an easy, ready-to-go dinner solution.
Common Mushroom Varieties
There are many mushroom types, but here are common ones you’ll likely find at the store and that work well in this soup:
- White button — mild flavor, versatile raw or cooked.
- Cremini (Baby Bella) — slightly deeper flavor; interchangeable with button mushrooms.
- Portobello — large, meaty caps, great for texture.
- Shiitake — distinct woodsy flavor that adds depth.
- Maitake — layered, fan-like clusters with rich flavor.
- Oyster — delicate, fan-shaped, and great in soups or stir-fries.
- Enoki — long and crunchy, often used raw or lightly cooked.
- Porcini — intensely flavorful, often used dried to boost umami.
- Morel, chanterelle, hedgehog, black trumpet — more specialty varieties that offer unique flavors when available.
More Vegan Soup Ideas
- Lentil Soup with Moroccan Spices
- Hearty Comforting Vegetable Soup
- Black Bean Soup
- Leek & Potato Soup
- Kale Soup with Cannellini Beans & Quinoa
- Turmeric Ginger Vegetable Soup
- Tomato and Rice Soup
- Red Lentil Soup with Fennel & Turmeric
- Moroccan Harira Soup
If you try this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating or a comment. If you have questions or need ingredient swaps, leave a comment and we’ll help.
Mushroom Barley Soup
5 from 1 review
- Author: Vicky Cohen and Ruth Fox
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 20 cups
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Mushroom Barley Soup is a hearty and flavorful fall and winter soup. It’s filling, nutritious, vegan, and total comfort food. Enjoy a bowl and instantly feel cozy and warm.
Ingredients
Classic Mushroom Barley Soup
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 medium carrots, sliced
- 24 oz mixed mushrooms (Baby Bella, portobello, or white), sliced
- 2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 4 quarts mushroom or vegetable broth
- 1 cup pearled barley, rinsed
Umami Mushroom Barley Soup (optional)
- 0.5 oz dried porcini mushrooms
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots, diced
- 3 celery stalks, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 carrots, diced
- Approximately 2 lbs mixed fresh mushrooms (e.g., cremini, oyster, shiitake)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 4 quarts mushroom or vegetable broth
- 3 tbsp red miso paste
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 ½ cups pearled barley, rinsed
Instructions
Classic Mushroom Barley Soup
- Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add onions, celery, and garlic; cook over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.
- Add carrots, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Cook another 5 minutes until mushrooms begin to soften.
- Add broth and bring to a boil. Stir in barley, cover, reduce heat, and simmer about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until barley is tender.
Umami Mushroom Barley Soup
- Break dried porcini into pieces and soak in 2 cups boiling water until rehydrated; set aside.
- Trim and discard shiitake stems (or save them to flavor a broth in a cheesecloth bundle).
- Wash and slice fresh mushrooms; set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot. Sauté shallots, celery, and garlic over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add carrots and cook 5 more minutes.
- Add fresh mushrooms, salt, and pepper; cook 5 minutes more.
- Add broth, miso, and soy sauce.
- Remove soaked porcini from their soaking liquid and add the mushrooms to the pot. Reserve the soaking liquid.
- Carefully pour the soaking liquid into the soup, leaving any sediment behind in the bowl.
- Add barley, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour 30–45 minutes, until barley is cooked. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Notes
- Hulled barley requires about 15–20 minutes longer cooking time than pearl barley.
- Make-ahead: the soup reheats very well. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days.
- Freezing: cool the soup before placing it in airtight containers for freezing. Leave room for expansion.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1h 15 min
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Eastern European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cups (classic soup)
- Calories: 193
- Sugar (g): 6.6
- Sodium (mg): 1379.8
- Fat (g): 4.9
- Saturated Fat (g): 0.7
- Unsaturated Fat (g): 3.9
- Trans Fat (g): 0
- Carbohydrates (g): 34.4
- Fiber (g): 6.4
- Protein (g): 5.6
- Cholesterol (mg): 0