Easy Vegetarian Mushroom Barley Soup

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Easy Vegetarian Mushroom Barley Soup is actually a vegan recipe for a savory soup inspired by krupnik, the Polish/Eastern European Jewish soup.

It is a budget-friendly meal with simple prep and only 6 core basic pantry ingredients.

Perfect for a hearty weeknight dinner or satisfying lunch at work.

About this soup…

This mushroom barley soup is a delicious vegetable soup with simple prep.

Make ahead and heat for dinner after a long day at work or school.

Or bring it to work and save on lunch money.

It makes a terrific meal in the winter or any time of year!

Mushroom barley soup is based on the Jewish Eastern European soup, krupnik, which had barley as its base and contained root vegetables and beef.

However, money was often tight back in Eastern Europe, and meat was not affordable for many, so the soup was often made meatless…just like this vegan version.

And it’s healthy since the vegetables—mushrooms, barley, carrots, and onions—have nutritional value!

Some cooking terms:

What does it mean when recipes say “to taste” about an ingredient?

When recipes say “to taste,” it means that you can put in as little or as much as you like to your own taste. Some recipes have many ingredients that a cook can adjust to their own taste when cooking (not so much when baking though).

The best way to calculate what your taste is with a recipe that you are not yet familiar with is to first taste the dish and then add the “to taste” ingredient GRADUALLY, a little at a time—a splash of this or a pinch of that—until the dish is just the way you like it.

Make sure to stir the ingredient after each time you add it so that the flavor will distribute evenly and become part of the dish. Then taste again. Repeat until you reach your personal preference.

Note: If you plan on using the recipe again, it is highly recommended to make a note of what and how much you added so that you can refer to it next time.

What does it mean when a recipe says that an ingredient is “optional”?

If an ingredient is “optional,” it means that you can add it in or not based on your own preference. An optional ingredient can be flavor-related (i.e., salty, sweet, spicy, etc.), appearance-related (garnish), or even something like nuts or chocolate chips in baking.

What does “savory” mean?

“Savory” refers to foods that are not sweet, such as foods that taste salty, spicy, or herbal.

What does “sauté” mean?

To sauté means to cook quickly in a small amount of oil or fat in a frying pan on a relatively high heat that causes a slight browning of the food on the outside.

What does “boil” mean?

Boiling is cooking food submerged in water hot enough to have rapid, rolling bubbles.

What does it mean to chop?

To chop means to cut into small pieces.

What does it mean to dice?

Dicing is cutting into small cubes or squares.

What is needed to make easy 5-ingredient mushroom barley soup?

I’m not great at meal planning and like to keep a lot of standard seasonings, spices, veggies, and canned goods in my kitchen at all times.

But these are all you need to have on hand to make this recipe even last minute!

pearl barley
canned or fresh mushrooms
carrot
celery
onion
vegetarian chicken consommé powder
ground pepper (optional)
(oil for frying)

Love soup? Try these!

• Easy Vegan Split Pea Soup
• Easy Vegetarian French Onion Soup
• Vegetarian Egg Drop Soup
• Israeli Vegetarian White Bean Soup
• Creamy Vegetarian Potato Soup

Continue to Content

Yield: 6 servings

Easy Vegetarian Mushroom Barley Soup

Print

Delicious and simple, mushroom barley soup, made without beef.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups pearl barley
• 2 cups canned or fresh mushrooms, sliced or chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped or diced
• 1 celery stalk, chopped or diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped or diced
• 4 tablespoons vegetarian chicken consommé powder or to taste
• pepper to taste, if desired
• oil for frying

Instructions

1. Cook barley according to instructions on package.
2. Pour oil into a frying pan, enough to just coat the bottom (2-3 tablespoons) and place on a medium-low flame.
3. Add onions, carrots, mushrooms and celery and saute until they are somewhat soft (the onions will brown a little and become translucent).
4. When the barley is ready, add 4 cups of water and the sauted vegetables to the same pot.
5. Mix well and bring to a boil.
6. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the carrots are soft (these take the longest to cook - around 10 minutes or so).
7. If the water evaporates too much, add more, but be careful not to dilute the taste (if you do this, add more consomme to taste).

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 127Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 63mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 4g

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