Warm Winter-to-Spring Vegetable Barley (Printable)

Hearty medley of seasonal vegetables and tender barley simmered for a comforting, flavorful dish.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, sliced
02 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
03 - 2 medium parsnips, peeled and diced
04 - 1 small rutabaga, peeled and diced
05 - 1 cup green cabbage, shredded
06 - 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
07 - 2 celery stalks, diced
08 - 2 garlic cloves, minced

→ Grains

09 - 3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed

→ Liquids

10 - 8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
11 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Herbs and Seasonings

12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

# Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add leek, carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, and celery. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
03 - Stir in pearl barley, then pour in vegetable broth. Add bay leaf, thyme, and marjoram. Bring to a boil.
04 - Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until barley and root vegetables are tender.
05 - Add cabbage and spinach. Simmer uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes until greens are wilted but still vibrant.
06 - Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's the kind of soup that tastes like slow cooking but actually comes together in just over an hour, so you get all the comfort without the all-day commitment.
  • Those root vegetables become so tender they practically melt, while the barley adds this satisfying, slightly chewy texture that keeps things interesting.
  • You can stretch it for a crowd or eat it all week—it honestly gets better as it sits because the flavors have time to really know each other.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the barley or you'll end up with a soup that looks cloudy instead of clear—I made that mistake once and could never unsee it.
  • The timing between adding the roots and the greens matters because you want the spinach to stay bright green and slightly textured, not melted into oblivion, so resist the urge to add everything at once.
03 -
  • Keep your vegetable broth warm in a separate pot while you cook so that when you add it to the vegetables, it doesn't shock the pot and cool everything down—this actually helps everything cook more evenly.
  • If the soup seems too thin at the end, let it simmer uncovered for another few minutes to reduce the liquid, or if it's too thick, just stir in a little more broth until it feels right to you.
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