Jamie Oliver Pearl Barley Soup Recipe

This pearl barley soup is warm, hearty, and packed with fresh vegetables. The chewy barley makes it more exciting than soups with just pasta or rice. It’s a healthy and flavorful meal, perfect for any day. You can easily switch up the vegetables based on what you have in your fridge!

Ingredients Needed:

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion
• 2 small or 1 large carrot
• 2 celery stems
• 2 small or 1 medium swede
• 150g / 5 oz white mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp fresh thyme
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground fennel
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 1 3/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 1.75 liters/quarts vegetable stock
• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves

How To Make Pearl Barley Soup Recipe?

1. Rinse the barley: Place the pearl barley in a colander and rinse it under cold water. Let it drain for a few minutes.
2. Sauté the vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, swede, mushrooms, and garlic. Stir and cook for 5 minutes until they soften.
3. Add herbs and spices: Stir in thyme, coriander, fennel, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute to release their flavors.
4. Simmer the soup: Pour in the vegetable stock and add the pearl barley. Stir, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 35 minutes until the barley is tender but still chewy.
5. Stir in parsley and serve: Mix in the fresh parsley, then ladle the soup into bowls and enjoy!

Recipe Tips:

• Use the right barley: Always use pearl barley, not hulled barley. Pearl barley cooks faster and has a softer texture, while hulled barley takes much longer and stays chewy.
• Cut vegetables evenly: Chop all vegetables into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly. If some are too big, they may stay hard while others become too soft.
• Sauté for better flavor: Don’t skip sautéing the vegetables and spices before adding the broth. This step adds depth and makes the soup taste richer.
• Simmer until the barley is just right: The barley should be soft but still chewy. If it’s too hard, cook for a few more minutes. If it’s too mushy, you may have overcooked it.
• Adjust seasoning after cooking: Barley absorbs a lot of flavor as it cooks. Taste the soup before serving and add more salt, pepper, or herbs if needed.

How To Store & Reheat Leftovers?

• Refrigerate: Let the pearl barley soup cool down first. Then, put it in a sealed container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Freeze: Cool the soup completely before freezing it in a sealed container. It will stay good for 3 months.
• Reheat: Pour the soup into a pot and warm over medium heat, stirring often. If it has thickened too much, add broth or water and stir until heated through.

Nutrition Facts:

• Calories: 262 kcal
• Total Fat: 7g
• Saturated Fat: 1g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 2186mg
• Potassium: 602mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 47g
• Dietary Fiber: 10g
• Sugars: 9g
• Protein: 7g

Jamie Oliver Pearl Barley Soup Recipe

Course: SoupsCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Calories

262

kcal

This pearl barley soup is warm, hearty, and packed with fresh vegetables. The chewy barley makes it more exciting than soups with just pasta or rice. It’s a healthy and flavorful meal, perfect for any day. You can easily switch up the vegetables based on what you have in your fridge!

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 onion

• 2 small or 1 large carrot

• 2 celery stems

• 2 small or 1 medium swede

• 150g / 5 oz white mushrooms

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1/2 tsp fresh thyme

• 1/4 tsp ground coriander

• 1/4 tsp ground fennel

• 2 fresh bay leaves

• 1 3/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1 cup pearl barley

• 1.75 liters/quarts vegetable stock

• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves

Directions

• Rinse the barley: Place the pearl barley in a colander and rinse it under cold water. Let it drain for a few minutes.
• Sauté the vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, swede, mushrooms, and garlic. Stir and cook for 5 minutes until they soften.
• Add herbs and spices: Stir in thyme, coriander, fennel, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute to release their flavors.
• Simmer the soup: Pour in the vegetable stock and add the pearl barley. Stir, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 35 minutes until the barley is tender but still chewy.
• Stir in parsley and serve: Mix in the fresh parsley, then ladle the soup into bowls and enjoy!

Notes

• Use the right barley: Always use pearl barley, not hulled barley. Pearl barley cooks faster and has a softer texture, while hulled barley takes much longer and stays chewy.
• Cut vegetables evenly: Chop all vegetables into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly. If some are too big, they may stay hard while others become too soft.
• Sauté for better flavor: Don’t skip sautéing the vegetables and spices before adding the broth. This step adds depth and makes the soup taste richer.
• Simmer until the barley is just right: The barley should be soft but still chewy. If it’s too hard, cook for a few more minutes. If it’s too mushy, you may have overcooked it.
• Adjust seasoning after cooking: Barley absorbs a lot of flavor as it cooks. Taste the soup before serving and add more salt, pepper, or herbs if needed.