Hearty and Delicious Barley Minestrone Soup

Nothing can beat a warm bowl of minestrone soup in the cold season. This classic vegetable soup is made hearty with the addition of healthy barley and satisfying vegetables. I always encourage my children to eat the rainbow and this is definitely one way to serve a rainbow in a bowl. You can serve it to kids without them thinking they’re getting a serving of vegetables in it! I’m so happy that this soup has all the nutrients in one bowl: fibre, plant-based protein and tons of vitamins from the vegetables!

Why will you love this soup recipe?

• it’s delicious!
• it’s hearty
• it’s filling and comforting
• it’s vegan
• it’s versatile!

What’s the difference between minestrone and vegetables soup?

Minestrone is a thicker soup that typically has beans and pasta in it. It’s never blended and is usually like a chunky stew. A vegetable soup is, typically thinner, and has no grains or pulses and when I make it I usually blend the soup to make the consistency the same.

What is in this minestrone soup?

• Vegetables – I used onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, and frozen (or fresh!) kale
• Spices – kept it simple with some fresh garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and white pepper
• Canned tomatoes – a can of diced tomatoes seasoned with garlic and salt
• Broth – vegetable broth as the liquid base for added flavor. I use this vegetable broth.
• Barley – makes the soup nutrient dense and more filling
• Lemon – adds a pop of freshness

How do you make this minestrone soup?

The recipe is super easy and I’ve put photos below to help you along your soup journey. I basically summarized it into three steps below:

1. Add in your olive oil and let it warm. Then saute your garlic and onions until soft, translucent and emits a beautiful cooking smell.
2. Add in your spices
3. Add in your celery, carrots and potatoes and mix for a couple of minutes.
4. Add in your broth and bring to a high boil. Then reduce the temperature to low-medium and cook for about 30 minutes. Keeping an eye that the potatoes don’t turn mushy.
5. Add in your kale and additional spices.

What is barley?

I’m sure you’ve heard of barley. I’ve only used it it for soups but I’ve seen it in baby food and cereals.

It’s a type of grain and is known to help with diabetes and obesity!

It has a mild and nutty flavor and is chewy is texture. Here’s a slew of benefits and information about barley if you wish to read up on it!

How to thicken your minestrone soup

I don’t usually need to thicken minestrone soup as the barley and, in this recipe, the potatoes help thicken the broth quite nicely.

There is no tomato paste in this recipe, but you could add a tablespoon of this to the pot while it’s cooking.

Soup alternatives and substitutions

The sky is the limit when it comes to minestrone soup, or any soup for that matter! I feel like this is the clean up the fridge kind of soup where you can throw (almost) anything in! It is a great way to use up ingredients you have that’s been lying in the fridge for some time. Some variations you can do to change up the soup are:

• Other vegetables – corn, zucchini, squash, sweet potatoes and spinach. Just a note, if you add softer vegetables please add them closer to the end as something like zucchini will turn into mush if you add them in at the beginning
• Fresh or dried herbs – bay leaves, parsley, basil. Bay leaves are a great addition for the entire soup cooking process as are dried spices. Fresh herbs should be added to the end.
• Beans – kidney beans, green beans, cannelloni beans and chickpeas. It can become such a hearty soup with the addition of beans and can bump up the protein too!
• Lentils – Adding lentils is the same idea as beans. Choose one or the other.
• Pasta – small shells, macaroni, spaghetti. My children LOVE pasta in their soup. Be warned that it soaks up a lot of liquid and to add additional vegetable broth if needed.
• Spices – chilli flakes or cayenne pepper can add some heat to the soup. You can even add a dash of hot sauce.
• Plant based “meat”: I haven’t done it but you can add a plant based hot dog and cut it up and add it to the soup. I would add it half way through the cooking process.

I’d love to hear what you put in your minestrone soup!

What can you serve alongside your soup?

• Crusty bread: Slice up a baguette, drizzle some olive oil on them and rub a sliced garlic glove. Place them in a frying pan and let them cook until golden brown. These are FANTASTIC to dunk into your soup!
• Salad: a wonderful hearty salad would pair wonderfully with this soup! Think croutons, lettuce and a delicious tangy dressing.

How to batch cook the soup and store

• cook, freeze (no kale or potatoes). Add them in later when you’re warming them up and let the cubed potatoes cook for a half hour.
• 2- 3 months in the freezer

Can you make this in the slow cooker?

I’m sure you can but I haven’t done it myself! If you do, please let me know in the comments below!

Other soup recipes to try

I love soup! The possibilities of what you can make into a soup are endless! Here are some other soup recipes I love making! Which one is your favourite?

Creamy and Easy Roasted Cauliflower Soup (with Fennel)

Delicious Butternut Squash Soup

Creamy Wild Rice Mushroom Soup

If you’ve made this recipe or any others please do leave me a comment below or take a photo and share it on social media with me! I’d be so grateful! Thank you so much for being here! xx