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Lentil Barley Soup in a white bowl with a white spoon.
Alana Lieberman

Lentil Barley Soup

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Our Lentil Barley Soup includes fresh veggies, like celery, carrots, onions, and spinach, along with lentils, barley, vegetable broth, and an abundance of dried spices for maximum flavor. You can make it in just over an hour for a hearty lunch or dinner that can easily be meal prepped in advance!
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Course: American, Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Soup, Soups
Cuisine: American, Mediterranean
Calories: 303
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup green or brown lentils
  • ½ cup pearl barley
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 ¼ cup diced onion about 1 medium onion
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic about 2 medium cloves
  • 1 cup diced carrots
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¾ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ¾ teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper plus more to taste
  • 7 to 8 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups chopped baby spinach
  • ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method
 

  1. Measure and look through lentils and barley to remove any rocks or debris that might be mixed in. Add to a large bowl, cover with 1 to 2 inches of water. Soak for 30 to 40 minutes, while you prep the rest of the ingredients and begin cooking the soup. This will help to remove excess starch and reduce cooking time. 
  2. Pour oil into a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring intermittently. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
  3. Add diced carrots, celery, tomato paste, oregano, cumin, coriander, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.  Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
  4. In a colander, drain and rinse lentils and barley. Add them to the pot.
  5. Pour in 7 cups of broth. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 25 minutes. Stir halfway through cooking.
  6. After 25 minutes, add spinach, parsley, and lemon juice.  Stir again to combine. Cook for 10 to 15 additional minutes. 
  7. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired.  The soup is meant to be thicker as the lentils and barley will absorb liquid, but you can add up to an additional 1 cup of broth depending on your desired consistency.

Notes

  • Don't skip soaking the lentils and barley! Luckily, you can just let them soak as you work on the rest of the soup so it doesn't add any additional preparation time to the recipe!
  • Dice the vegetables uniform in size. Make sure to cut the onions, carrots, and celery identical in size so they all cook at the same rate.

Nutrition

Calories: 303kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 11gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 1560mgPotassium: 659mgFiber: 15gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 5657IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 4mg

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