Warm up with a bowl of comforting and hearty mushroom barley soup. This recipe is naturally vegan with wholesome ingredients like pearled barley, garlic, carrots, onion, celery, cremini mushrooms, vegetable stock, and miso for umami depth. I finish this chunky soup with non-dairy cream/milk for a silky texture without the cream. Black lentils are simmered alongside the barley to increase satiation and to give the soup a bit more body. It all comes together in one pot on the stove in about 1 hour!
I love pearled barley because of its chewy texture and quick-ish cooking time. You don’t need to pre-cook pearled barley before adding it to this recipe. It’s a dream in soups, letting off a bit of starch as it simmers. The starch along with a heavy pour of non-dairy cream gives this barley mushroom soup such a luscious texture. I wanted to add lentils to the mix to make the soup feel like more of a complete meal. In a lot of ways, working on this soup reminded me of the very popular creamy French lentil and mushroom stew that I posted years ago.
The inspiration for this recipe:
- Krupnik refers to a soup made with barley in Polish cuisine, often with pork/other meat, potatoes, root vegetables, and parsley.
- Krupa is an old, alternative word for barley. Krupnik is a soup made with barley.
- Krupnik was a staple for Jews in Eastern Europe as well, who would add mushrooms due to the abundance of edible varieties in local wooded areas. Foraged mushrooms would often be dried to be added to soups.
- The recipe I’m presenting here does adhere to some traditional aspects—root vegetables, the barley itself, and components that offer a “meaty” flavor. It’s not intended to showcase as an authentic version of either of the soups discussed above though.
Beyond a bit of chopping, this mushroom and barley soup is straightforward and easy to prepare. It all just sautés and simmers in a pot. I finish the soup with sherry vinegar because I love it with mushrooms and the little acidity lift helps to sparkle the finished flavor. I also bring umami in at the end with both miso and vegan Worcestershire sauce. Mushrooms have a deep and savory note all on their own, but enhancing that quality really takes things to another level.
Chopped fresh dill is nice and fresh with the creamy mushroom, spice, and garlic notes. You can use parsley if you’re not a fan of dill though. Barley is super starchy, but I still love to serve this with some crusty bread to dip in the broth. Hope you love this one 🙂
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Creamy Mushroom Barley Soup with Lentils & Dill (Vegan)
Loaded with umami depth, this vegan mushroom barley soup is hearty with lentils and plenty of herbs and spices. The soup needs 1 hour of cooking time, and it all happens in one pot on the stovetop.
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 lb (454 grams) cremini mushrooms, sliced
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 large yellow onion, small dice
- 2 medium carrots, small dice
- 2 sticks celery, small dice
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup pearled barley
- ½ cup black Beluga lentils (see note)
- 10 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon light miso
- 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy cream/milk (see note)
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
Notes
- I like the look and firmness of black Beluga lentils in this soup, but green lentils and French lentils will both substitute easily here.
- White wine vinegar is a fine substitute for sherry vinegar. I would go down to 2 teaspoons to start though.
- Miso and vegan Worcestershire sauce are both quite salty, so just be mindful of how much salt you’re adding leading up to the point when they go in.
- For non-dairy cream, I like the nutpods brand original unsweetened creamer or Califia’s Better Half non-dairy cream. You could also use unsweetened cashew milk (I like Elmhurst brand) or oat milk.
- I do not recommend substituting hulled barley as it will take twice as long to cook and you would need to delay adding the lentils. I also find that hulled barley does not “starch up” the soup as nicely.
Instructions
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Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Pour in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add half of the sliced mushrooms and sauté until golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a bowl. Repeat this process with another tablespoon of olive oil and the remaining mushrooms. Once you have all the mushrooms cooked, set aside.
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Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and stir. Sauté this mixture, stirring often, until onions are soft and translucent, about 7-8 minutes.
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To the pot, add the garlic, dried thyme, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and bay leaves and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Once the garlic is fragrant, after about 1 minute, add the pearled barley and lentils. Stir.
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Add the vegetable stock and stir. Cover the pot and bring it up to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and remove the lid. Simmer until barley and lentils are tender, about 30 minutes, popping in to stir here and there. Extract and discard the bay leaves.
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Place the miso in a small bowl and ladle some of the hot broth from the soup on top. Use a spoon to break up and dissolve the miso. Then, add the mixture back into the pot. Add the mushrooms back into the pot as well. Then, add the non-dairy cream, sherry vinegar, Worcestershire, and dill. Stir to combine and bring up to a boil again. Give the soup a taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (more vinegar, salt, Worcestershire etc).
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Serve the mushroom barley soup hot and enjoy!
