Creamy Lentil Barley Soup Recipe
Creamy Lentil Barley Soup with red lentils, barley, and vegetables. High in protein and fiber to support healthy cholesterol. Easy one-pot meal.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 421kcal
Equipment
- 1 Immersion blender or blender
- 1 Large saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 ½ cups dried split red lentils rinsed and drained (see notes)
- ½ cup hulless barley or pearl barley (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 cups vegetable broth preferably low sodium
- 4 medium carrots roughly chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 lemons juice
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Cook the onion: Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion with 2–3 tablespoons of vegetable broth or water. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden.
- Cook the garlic and spices: Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the cumin, turmeric, and black pepper. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
- Stir in the red lentils and barley, coating them with the onion, garlic, and spices.
- Add the carrots, vegetable broth, and bay leaf, if using. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover partially and cook for 30–50 minutes, depending on your choice of barley (see recipe notes). Stir occasionally, and cook until the barley is tender and the lentils have completely broken down. Remove the bay leaf.
- Blend the soup until smooth and creamy using an immersion blender, or carefully transfer it in batches to a countertop blender. If needed, stir in additional vegetable broth or hot water to reach your desired consistency.
- Stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Taste and season with salt and additional black pepper, if needed. Serve warm, garnished with more fresh parsley and an extra squeeze of lemon juice, if desired.
- For serving (optional): Top with hemp hearts for extra protein and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Save yourself some time by roughly chopping the vegetables—they'll be blended until smooth at the end.
Soaking is optional. If you have time, soak the barley overnight and the red lentils for 1–2 hours to shorten the cooking time and potentially improve digestibility. Drain and rinse well before using.
Choose the barley that fits your preference. Use pearled barley for a quicker cooking, smoother, creamier texture. Hulless, hulled, pot (Scotch), and semi-pearled barley are less processed whole-grain options that retain more fiber and cholesterol-lowering beta-glucan, but they take longer to cook and create a heartier, chewier soup. Adjust the cooking time as needed depending on the variety you choose. See the blog post for more details.
Nutrition
Calories: 421kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 58mg | Potassium: 1163mg | Fiber: 31g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 10882IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 8mg
