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This Mushroom Barley Soup recipe is not one of those bait-and-switch recipes where you have a bunch of cooking to do ahead of time. Just pile all the ingredients into your slow cooker and, in about 6 hours, you’ll have a delicious, comforting soup and a kitchen that smells amazing.
There’s nothing more comforting than hearty stews and soups when it’s chilly outside. Brimming with mushrooms and earthy, satisfying barley in a richly flavored broth, this soup is the perfect example.
Table of Contents
Ingredients You Need to Make Mushroom Barley Soup
- Celery: Look for firm, bright green celery stalks. Pro Tip! Be sure to check out the top where the stalks have been trimmed. Avoid those with hollow ribs that are a sign of dried out celery.
- Onion: yellow onion or white onion
- Garlic: fresh cloves are best
- Dried Thyme: or twice the amount of fresh thyme
- Dried Oregano: or twice the amount of fresh oregano
- Chicken Broth: or vegetable broth, (recipe note #1)
- Mushroom Broth or Beef Broth: (recipe note #1)
- Carrots: with or without the peel
- Mushrooms: white button mushrooms, cremini mushrooms or another variety you love or a combination!
- Pearl Barley: You’ll want pearl barley (also called pearled barley) for this recipe. More on the different types of barley in the FAQ below.
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
The magic of umami.
This soup is meatless, but that doesn’t mean it’s not packed with umami flavors. With a blend of chicken or vegetable broth, fresh mushrooms (is there a ‘meatier’ vegetable?) and mushroom or beef broth along with tender barley for a silky mouthfeel, you get a rich, complex soup without adding meat. And it’s easy to make this soup vegetarian / vegan by using only mushroom broth or a blend of mushroom broth and vegetable broth.
Serve a steaming bowl with a side of crusty bread and I promise, you’ll never miss the meat.
FAQ
The two most common varieties of barley are pearl barley and hulled barley or barley groats. Hulled barley is the whole grain version where only the toughest outer hull is removed. This type of barley is more nutritious and has more protein and fiber, but it takes longer to cook.
Pearl barley is still nutritious and a good source of fiber, but less so than barley groats because the hull and bran have been removed. The polished grain cooks faster, and is the most common type of barley.
You don’t need to cook the barley before making this soup. The slow cooker simmers it to tender perfection, soaking up all of the other delicious flavors, during the lengthy, but hands-off cooking time.
No, pearl barley has had the hull removed, has been steamed to remove the bran and softens nicely as it cooks without presoaking.
If you use hulled barley / barley groats then an overnight soak would help them cook faster and be more digestible, particularly if you add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice (see my How to Cook Farro post for more on this). And you’d want to add them to this soup in the first step as they take longer to cook than the pearled version.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
- Chicken Pozole Verde
- Beef Barley Soup
- Tomato Bisque
- Turkey and Rice Soup
- White Bean, Sausage and Kale Soup
See All Slow Cooker Recipes
How to Make Mushroom Barley Soup
Add all ingredients to a slow cooker; stir to combine and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-7 hours. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Mushroom Barley Soup
Ingredients
- 3 ribs celery sliced into half moons
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth, (recipe note #1)
- 4 cups mushroom broth or beef broth, (recipe note #1)
- 3 carrots sliced
- 1 1/2 pounds mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup pearl barley
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker; stir and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-7 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
Notes
- I’ve tried this soup with all different broth combinations and it’s always delicious! For a vegan / vegetarian version use all mushroom broth or vegetable broth or a combination of the two.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
As a diabetic I always need to watch the carbs, fats, fibre and protein. To adjust this recipe for my needs I used pot barley and used chicken bone broth to increase the protein instead of chicken broth. I still used the beef broth. I added a T of Worcestershire sauce, marjoram, bay leaves (2), salt, fresh ground pepper, and dried parsley for flavour. Some chives went on top when it was served for added colour. Skipped the thyme and oregano. Will make again. My husband added hot sauce to his. Will make again probably adding greens.
Hi Kathy! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe and made it your own.
Hi! Try for the life of me, I could not find the regular Pearl Barley, so I picked up the Quick Pearled Barley. Can I still use this in the recipe and proceed as per your instructions? I’ve got everything ready except this. Thank you
Hi Autumn! I have not tested this recipe with quick barley, but it does cook much faster than pearl barley. My best guess is to add it for the last third of the cooking time, so maybe the last 1 to 1 1/2 hours on high or last 2 to 2 1/2 hours on low. I hope that helps!
TY! I’ll let you know how that goes. I’m using the same amount as well. 🙂
sounds hearty and delicious. i do love barley and mushrooms. i make a similar recipe on the stove top.
Thank you, Sherry!
This mushroom soup looks so incredibly cozy and flavorful. I love the barley! Perfect for these cold winter nights!
Thanks so much, Monica!
So regarding the mushroom broth, couldn’t you just put some soaked and finely chopped dried porcini in rather than making a whole broth project?
Hi Guido! In the recipe, I’m referring to commercial mushroom broth that you can buy in boxes. But you could certainly add dried porcini mushrooms to this soup for an even deeper mushroom flavor.
Thanks, Marissa. Didn’t realize you meant commercial broth. Makes sense now, but I think I will make my own from dried Porcinis.
I’m sure that will be delicious! I’d love to hear how it goes.
Mushroom barley soup (sometimes I use buckwheat in place of barley) is one of my favourite soup options during the cold season – it’s so hearty, earthy, and delicious!
Well said, Ben!
Ah I love mushroom barley soup! It’s mighty cold here, and a bowl of this soup would certainly warm me up. I’m thinking a batch of this might be great for lunches next week! 🙂
I’m excited for you to try this, David!
Two of Tom’s favorite things Marissa mushrooms and barley! I’ve got to make this for him soon! Thanks so much for sharing.
It’s meant to be! I hope you both love it.
Wow, I love that this looks nice and meaty without the meat. Another winning recipe, Marissa!
aww…thanks so much, Sally!
Very warming and tasty!