Barley Lentil Soup Recipe
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This Barley Lentil Soup is a cozy, deeply satisfying, meatless meal-perfect for cooler days when you want something hearty but unfussy. Simmered with warming spices, tender lentils, chewy barley, and plenty of vegetables, it's the kind of soup that feels comforting and grounding from the first spoonful.
It's a simple, nourishing pot of soup that warms the kitchen-and yes, your toes too. If you love barley soups, try this Mushroom Barley Soup or this Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup too!
Recipe Overview
- Hearty, plant-based soup with lentils and pearl barley
- Naturally meatless and deeply flavorful
- Ideal for fall and winter lunches or easy dinners
- Simmered mostly hands-off in one pot
What I Love About This Soup
There's something especially comforting about soups built on grains and legumes. They simmer slowly, ask very little, and reward you with a kind of warmth that feels both physical and emotional.
When the seasons change and the air cools, I crave soup of every kind. From classic chicken noodle soup to curries, lentils, and mushrooms. Minestrone and potato soups are a constant, and often pressure-cooker soups, like Instant Pot soups, become quick lunches in my world.
This barley lentil soup is one of those recipes. The barley adds a pleasant chew, the lentils soften into the broth, and the vegetables bring everything together into a bowl that feels calm and complete, much like with our traditional Scotch Broth recipe. A hint of spice warms the edges without distracting from the soup’s simplicity.
It's the kind of meal that suits quiet evenings, leftover lunches, and those in-between days when you want something steady and nourishing on the table.
This soup is a meal all on its own. And so incredibly wholesome and satisfying!
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Ingredients
These simple pantry ingredients come together into a deeply flavorful, comforting soup. Exact measurements are included in the recipe card below.
- Olive oil for sautéing the vegetables
- Aromatic vegetables: onion, carrots, and garlic cloves
- Seasoning: Ground cumin and a cinnamon stick seasons the pot, and brown sugar helps elevate the flavors
- Dried lentils
- Dried Pearl barley
- Vegetable broth combined with water: You can also substitute chicken broth if you prefer
- Canned diced tomatoes: Use fire-roasted tomatoes if you like additional heat
- Swiss chard: Use both the green and red or white parts. You can also substitute any green you prefer, like kale, spinach, mustard greens, etc.
- Salt and pepper to taste
A Note About Lentils
Lentils come in a variety of colors, and each behaves a little differently in soups. While many types will work here, these are the most common options you'll see:
- Brown Lentils: Mild, earthy, and reliable. They hold their shape well and are my go-to for this soup.
- Red or Yellow Lentils: Softer and quicker-cooking. They tend to break down and thicken the broth, creating a creamier texture.
- Black Lentils (Beluga): Smaller and firmer, with a pleasant bite. They hold their shape beautifully and add visual contrast.
For this recipe, brown lentils offer the best balance of texture and consistency-but feel free to use what you have and adjust simmering time as needed.
How to Make Barley Lentil Soup
This soup is wonderfully easy to make, with minimal prep and mostly hands-off simmering. The full step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below, but here's a quick overview:
- Cook onions and carrots in a Dutch oven until softened. Add garlic and cumin and cook for another minute.
- Stir in lentils, broth, tomatoes, and remaining spices; bring the soup to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and add barley. Cover and cook for about 1 hour.
- Stir in the greens, cover, and cook until tender.
Barley is one of my favorite hearty grains. If you enjoy it as well, try my Wild Rice Pilaf with sauteed vegetables.
Variations & Substitutions
- Greens: Swap Swiss chard for kale, spinach, or mustard greens
- Spice level: Add a pinch of smoked paprika or red pepper flakes for gentle heat
- Grains: Farro can be used in place of barley (expect a slightly different texture)
- Broth: Vegetable broth keeps it meatless, but chicken broth works just as well
Make Ahead & Storage
- This soup keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days
- The barley will continue to absorb liquid-add a splash of broth when reheating
- Freezes well for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating
Recipe FAQs
Dried lentils work best here for texture and timing, but canned lentils can be used in a pinch. Add them toward the end of cooking.
No soaking is required for pearl barley-it cooks directly in the soup.
Yes, when made with vegetable broth.
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Barley Lentil Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups onion chopped (about 1 medium)
- 2 cups carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup dried lentils rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
- 2 cups water
- 1 15-ounce canned diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 cup dry barley
- 3 cups Swiss chard chopped (or other green like kale or spinach)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven and add onion and carrots; cook until the vegetables begin to soften. Add garlic and cumin and cook for another minute.
- Stir in lentils, broth, tomatoes, brown sugar and cinnamon stick; bring the soup to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and add barley. Cover and cook for about 60 minutes, or until the barley is tender.
- Stir in the chard, cover, and cook until tender; about 5 minutes. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Video
Notes
- Lentils: Brown lentils work best in this recipe because they hold their shape during the longer simmer.
- Barley: Pearl barley does not need to be soaked before cooking.
- Soup Consistency: The soup will continue to thicken as it sits; add a splash of broth or water when reheating if needed.
- Storage: This soup tastes even better the next day and keeps well for meal prep.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
So simple and yet so tasty! This is a keeper.
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed this soup, Patty. It freezes well for future meals too.
Do you have a recommendation for using an Instant Pot for this recipe? I’m guessing it would be fairly easy to convert to an Instant Pot but I’m actually new to the Instant Pot world and still learning.
Hi Rose! You can definitely make this in the Instant Pot. Sauté the onion and carrot until soft, and then add the garlic. Once softened and fragrant, turn on the sauté function and add the remaining ingredients to the pot, except for the greens. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes and then naturally release the pressure. I like to add the greens after the soup has cooked for best color and texture. You can either let it set until the greens have wilted or switch to the sauté function, stir them in and cook until wilted. Hope you enjoy it!
This is delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I love it too.