My Mom’s Red Lentil & Barley Soup is a wholesome and incredibly flavourful soup, passed down from generations. This hearty meal is total comfort food for rainy fall days and chilly winter evenings.
There’s something so comforting about a big pot of from-scratch soup slowly simmering on the stovetop. My Mom’s Red Lentil & Barley Soup is super easy to make, and is slowly cooked on the stovetop for a super flavourful meal.
The plus side of a slowly cooked soup is it’s actually easier to make it ahead! You don’t have to rush to throw it together at meal time. A couple hours before lunch or dinner, simply throw ingredients in the pot and let it do it’s thing until it’s ready. This way you’re not trying to make a meal at the last minute when you’re too hungry.
Ingredients in Mom’s Red Lentil & Barley Soup
- Sweet white onion
- Celery
- Carrot
- Red pepper
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Celery leaves
- Cumin
- Chilli powder
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt
- Ground pepper
- Cherry tomatoes or 1 small tomato
- Wild rice
- Barley
- Dry red lentils
- Vegetable bouillon
- Water
- Strained tomatoes
- Unsweetened almond milk
What to Serve this Soup With
My Mom’s Red Lentil & Barley Soup certainly makes a filling meal on its own! The lentils and barley pair together to create a hearty and satisfying soup.
Here are a few great pairings:
A fresh loaf of rustic bread and butter. Always a classic, homemade or bakery bread warmed and served with a knob of plant butter goes so well with this soup. Go for a crusty or rustic loaf, and a nice big thick slice!
You can always go for saltine crackers or vegan croutons. My Vegan Authentic Bruschetta is another option that makes a delicious pairing. My favourite, though would be making a batch of my Healthy Vegan Drop Biscuits. There’s no kneading or rolling involved since they’re made with a batter, not a dough. Homeade flaky soft biscuits fresh from the oven are so divine with this soup!
If you’re feeling like a soup and sandwich combination, try a vegan grilled cheese, or My Easy Vegan Egg Salad or Use my 5 Minute Vegan Turkey in a classic turkey sandwich with mayo and mustard.
Any of these options make a delicious pairing with Mom’s Red Lentil & Barley Soup, for the perfect soul warming meal!
Common Questions
Can I use green or brown lentils instead of red?
Red lentils are the best choice for this soup. They are a softer variety of lentil, and they add a smooth creaminess to the base of the soup. While you can replace the red lentils with green or brown, your soup won’t quite have the same consistency.
How long will this soup last in the fridge?
Mom’s Red Lentil & Barley Soup will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days in an air-tight container. Reheat the soup in the microwave or on medium heat on the stovetop.
Can this soup be frozen?
Yes! Allow soup to cool completely. Transfer leftover soup to an air tight container and store for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Mom’s Red Lentil & Barley Soup
Ingredients
Mom's Red Lentil & Barley Soup
- 1/2 sweet white onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1-2 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 20 cherry tomatoes halved (or 1 small tomato diced)
- 1/2 cup barley
- 1/4 cup wild rice
- 1 1/4 cups dry red lentils
- 1 large carrot shredded
Spices
- 1 Tbsp celery leaves chopped
- 1/2 Tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
Liquids
- 4 cubes vegetable bouillon
- 9 cups hot water
- 3 cups strained tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
Mom's Red Lentil & Barley Soup
- Add olive oil to a large pot with diced onion, red pepper, garlic, shredded carrot and celery. Cook on medium heat until softened.
- Add celery leaves, cumin, chilli powder, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and chopped tomatoes.
- Add 4 vegetable bouillon cubes and water to the pot and stir well to ensure cubes are dissolved.
- Stir in red lentils, barley, and wild rice. Cook for 1 hour on low maintaining a simmer.
- Add strained tomato and stir. Simmer for another 45 minutes on low. Turn off heat.
- Add almond milk and stir well. Cover for 5 minutes.
- Serve!
Looking for more wholesome vegan soup recipes? Try my Winter Roasted Squash & Tomato Stew!
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