Vegan Beef Barley Soup

A brothy barley and vegetable soup with faux beef and pearled barely simmered to perfection.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword vegan barley soup, vegan beef barley soup

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Servings bowls

Calories 177kcal

Bring 6 cups of salted water to a boil, then add 1 cup of pearled barley. Simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes, then drain and rinse in a wire-mesh strainer.
While the barley is simmering, peel and dice an onion and mince garlic, then cook them over medium-low heat in 2 tbsp of olive oil for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
Add the peeled and diced carrot, celery, and herbs, then saute for 3 more minutes.
Add the vegan beef crumbles (or broken-up vegan burgers) to the veggies and saute for another 3-5 minutes.
Pour in 4 cups of vegetable broth, 3 cups of water, and 1/4 cup of soy sauce.
Bring to a slow boil, then add the drained and rinsed barley.
Simmer on low for 15 more minutes until the vegetables and the barley are tender, then garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.

Don't skip the step of pre-cooking the barley! Barely takes a long time to cook and makes the water thick and slimy. You don't want this in the broth of your soup.
Add more water to the barley while precooking if needed. It will absorb a lot of water and swell in size significantly.
If you are using mushrooms instead of a faux beef product, dice them small and add them along with the onions and garlic.