Mushroom Barley Soup (Easy!)
This hearty mushroom barley soup is simple to make with just 10 wholesome ingredients! It combines chewy barley, tender mushrooms, vegetables, and herbs in a rich, savory broth.
Servings: 4 large bowls
Ingredients
- 8 oz. mushrooms (or more)
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 medium carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup pearl barley*
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the veggies: Clean and slice the mushrooms. Set aside. Then dice the onion, carrot, and celery.
- In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, sauté onion, carrot, and celery for 7-8 minutes. (I use about 3 Tbsp. water for no-oil sauté method, adding more as needed.)
- Meanwhile, mince garlic.
- When onion is translucent, add sliced mushrooms, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Stir and sauté 3-4 minutes.
- Add vegetable broth. Increase heat and bring to a light boil.
- Meanwhile, rinse barley. When the soup is lightly boiling, add barley. Stir and reduce heat to medium-low. Then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until barley is desired tenderness. (You can simmer it longer for a softer texture.)
- Stir in the apple cider vinegar and fresh parsley (chopped) during the last couple minutes of cooking. Then salt & pepper to taste. (The barley tends to fall to the bottom of the pot, so dig deep when you're ladling it out!)
Notes
*Barley: I use pearl barley (also called pearled barley) which has a shorter cooking time. If you're using hulled barley, that requires a much longer cook time. So check your package instructions and adjust the simmering time as needed.
Thickness: For a thicker soup, increase the barley to about 2/3 cup. You can also increase the mushrooms to 12-16 ounces.
Mushrooms: Most of the time I use cremini, but you can swap in white button, Portobello, shiitake, etc.
Gluten-free version: Omit the barley and use white rice, brown rice, or even quinoa instead.
Recipe originally published October 2013. Updated August 2025.
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
Calories: 144 kcal | Carbohydrates: 32 g | Protein: 5 g | Fat: 1 g | Saturated Fat: 0.1 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1 g | Potassium: 382 mg | Fiber: 6 g | Sugar: 6 g | Vitamin A: 3499 IU | Vitamin C: 8 mg | Calcium: 45 mg | Iron: 2 mg
