Vegan Creamy Mushroom Barley Soup! This cozy soup is a total flavor-bomb and a must for those Fall and Winter days ahead!

Delicious, rich, and ultra-creamy, this healthy and oil free Vegan Creamy Mushroom Barley Soup is a mushroom lovers dream! Tender mushrooms and hearty barley bathe in a plant-based broth that coats you in comforting goodness and a perfect remedy for cold days!

Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients.

Hi there, Ameera here!

This soup is so creamy and delicious!  I loved it which says a lot since I am not overly in love with mushrooms. I enjoy them, but I am not a mushroom fanatic like both mom and dad.

This is a big cozy hug in a bowl. I could eat the whole pot! You gotta give this one a try!

Tips for Success:

• Flavor Profile: This soup is a creamy mushroom soup with barley.  The flavor is mild, yet flavorful.
• Tomato Paste: Make sure you take an extra minute to smash in the tomato paste and try to incorporate it into the liquids.
• Barley: There are several types of barley available.  Hulled barley has been minimally processed to remove only the tough outer hull. Hulless Barley has the outer hull removed and retains all the bran and germ.  Pearl barley is not a whole grain and is more refined through processing.  Pearl barley is typically what you find in most grocery stores.  Although it is not technically a whole grain, it is does contain fiber and some redeemable nutrients.  We used pearl barley simply because we could not locate hulled barley. Feel free to use your favorite barley in this recipe.  Adjust cooking times accordingly.
• Mushrooms: We used Baby Bell mushrooms.  Feel free to use your favorite mushrooms in this recipe with the understanding that the flavor of the mushrooms influences the broth.  We have not tested this recipe with other mushrooms.
• Instant Pot: We tried this recipe using an Instant Pot and simply were not impressed with the results.  We do not recommend using the Instant Pot for this recipe.
• Spices: This soup has great flavor, but the flavor is more on the neutral side.  Feel free to spin the flavor profile by adding your favorite spices like thyme, sage, etc.  We enjoyed this soup with the spices listed in the recipe ingredients.
• 15-Minute Rest: It is important to allow this soup to rest for 15 minutes to let the flavors marry and allows the broth to thicken.  The broth thickens as it slightly cools.
• Cashew Substitutes: You can try the typical cashew substitutes: silken tofu, white beans, other nuts, or seeds with the understanding that the flavor, texture and thickness of the broth will change accordingly.  You may need to adjust/add ingredients to compensate.   We have not tested any substitutions.
• Nutritional Yeast: You can leave the nutritional yeast out of the recipe with the understanding that you may need to adjust/add ingredients to compensate.  We have not tested any substitutions.
• Gluten Free:  This recipe is NOT gluten free.  Barley is not gluten free. If you wish you can make this recipe gluten free by substituting the barley for cooked brown rice (or rice of choice.  Simply make the recipe as written (minus the barley) and reduce the cooking time to 20 minutes. [Additionally, we recognize that the pin says ‘GF’ as this recipe has a gluten free alternative for the barley which is cooked brown rice.]

Leftovers and Freezing:

Leftovers will generally keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.  Store in a covered container.

This soup freezes well.

Pantry Products Used:

• Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.
• Tamari: We used San J Tamari Soy Sauce, Gluten Free, Reduced Sodium. You can substitute the tamari with reduced sodium soy sauce, Braggs Liquid Aminos, or Braggs Coconut Liquid Aminos.
• Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.   

Kitchen Products Used:

• Large stock pot
• High-speed blender for making the cashew cream

If you try this comforting soup, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us!  We would love to hear from you.

Vegan Creamy Mushroom Barley Soup

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• Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures
• Prep Time: 10 Minutes
• Cook Time: 60-75 Minutes
• Total Time: 70 Minutes
• Yield: 8 Cups 1x
• Category: Soup
• Method: Stovetop
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Delicious, rich, and ultra-creamy, this healthy and oil free Vegan Creamy Mushroom Barley Soup is a mushroom lovers dream!

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Ingredients

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Base Ingredients:

• 1 medium yellow onion, fine dice
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 10 to 16 oz. Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced (or mushrooms of choice) *
• 2 Tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari *
• 3 cups water
• 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth *
• 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast *
• 1 cup barley, rinsed *

Spice/Herb Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon sweet paprika (+/-)
• ½ to 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper (+/-) 

Cashew Cream Ingredients:

• ½ cup [raw] cashews *
• ½ cup unsweetened plain plant milk

Other Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

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Instructions

1. Place the yellow onions in a deep stock pot, sauté until tender, approx. 7 to 9 minutes.  Add a splash of water if needed to prevent burning.
2. Add the garlic and tomato paste, sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3. Add the sliced mushrooms and tamari, sauté until the mushrooms are reduced, about 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Then add all the remaining Base Ingredients, Spice/Herb Ingredients, and barley, stir well to combine, heat to boiling, then immediately lower to a simmer. Cover with the lid ajar, and simmer for 40 to 55 minutes (dependent upon the barley used) or until the barley has reached the desired tenderness.
5. In the meantime, place the cashews into a small bowl, cover with hot water, allow to soak for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, drain off the water, discard.  Then place the soaked cashews and plant milk into a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth and emulsified (approximately one minute).  Set aside until ready to use.
6. After the barley has reached the desired tenderness, stir in the cashew cream and red wine vinegar.  Simmer for several minutes, then remove from the stove and allow to set for 15 minutes to rest.

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Notes

*Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used. 

*Sea Salt:  Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

*Servings: 4 to 6 Servings (makes 8 cups)

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