Published: Sep 24, 2021 · Modified: Feb 14, 2023 by kaydimaggio

Tuscan Inspired Barley and Spinach Soup

Name: Tuscan Inspired Barley and Spinach Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: PT-27551334M
Ingredients: 1 large Yellow Onion; 1 15 oz can Fire Roasted Tomatoes; 2 cups Mushrooms; 3 Carrots diced; 3 stalks Celery diced; 2 cups Spinach; 10 cups Vegetable Broth; 1 cup Barley; 2 tspThyme; 2 tsp Rosemary; 2 tsp Basil; Zest and juice of one Lemon

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This Tuscan Inspired Barley and Spinach Soup is so delicious and warming. Full of good for you ingredients and easy to make, this healthy soup will warm your soul on a cool day!

Do you know those days where it is so cold out that you can literally feel the chill in your bones? No? Just me? Well, the weather is starting to turn here and all I want when the weather chills is a big bowl of something hearty and warming. This Tuscan Inspired Barley and Spinach Soup fit that bill perfectly. With all the delicious and flavors of the creamy barley and mushrooms, this vegetable barley soup will warm you right up!

I have always been drawn to the flavors and the beauty of Tuscany. There is something so beautifully rustic about the simplicity and seasonality around Tuscan food. Tuscan food is based around the Italian idea of cucina povera or “poor cooking.” This concept is all about simple meals that are inexpensive but could easily be made in large amounts. Tuscan cooking is simple and understated, using fresh, high-quality ingredients that bring out the natural flavors of the dish. This barley soup reminds me of all that and more!

For more delicious soup recipes, check out this Dairy-Free Tomato Basil Soup, this Vegetarian Pot Pie Soup, Vegan Taco Soup, or this Easy Vegan "Beef" Stew with Guinness!

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Top tip
Tuscan Inspired Barley and Spinach Soup
Food safety

Ingredients

Playing off the Tuscan idea, these ingredients are simple and make this soup shine!

Barley Soup — Tuscan Inspired Barley and Spinach Soup

Yellow Onion
Fire Roasted Tomatoes
Mushrooms
Carrots
Celery
Spinach
Vegetable Broth
Barley
Thyme
Rosemary
Basil
Lemon

Please see the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Wash and dice the onion, carrots and, celery. Add all of the ingredients except the spinach to the crockpot and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

All ingredients in crockpot — Mushroom and Spinach Barley Soup

10 minutes before serving, stir in the chopped spinach. Stir the spinach into the crockpot and all it to wilt a bit before serving.

Ladle into bowls and serve alongside a big loaf of crusty bread.

Mushroom and Spinach Barley Soup — Tuscan Inspired and Spinach Barley Soup

Hint: You want to make sure you get even cooking so while it might be tempting, do not lift the crockpot lid during the cooking time. Since a crockpot cooks low and slow, you want to make sure the heat stays in.

Substitutions

Can this Barley Soup be made Keto?

Sure, just make sure to replace the barley in this soup. Your best bet will be to replace the barley with some hearts of palm rice or some other low-carb grain option.

Can this Barley Soup be made Gluten-Free?

Of course! Barley does contain gluten as it is a grain, so to make sure this soup is gluten-free, sub out the barley for your favorite rice. I love using white rice instead!

Is this Barley Soup Whole 30?

Because the main component in this vegetable soup recipe is a grain, no this recipe is not Whole 30 compliant, you can remove the grain and throw in some extra vegetables but it would not be the way the dish was intended to be eaten.

Variations

Stovetop Instructions:

To make this soup on the stovetop, start by sautéing the onion, carrots, and celery in a little olive oil in a large dutch oven until softened, around 5 minutes, add in the herbs, mushrooms, and fire-roasted diced tomatoes, stir until combined and then add the vegetable broth.

Bring the soup to a boil and add the barley, cover and reduce to a simmer until the barley is cooked through about 30 minutes.

Instant Pot Instructions:

To make this soup in the Instant pot, start by sautéing the onion, carrots, and celery in a little olive oil on the sauté function until softened, around 5 minutes, add in the herbs, mushrooms, and fire-roasted diced tomatoes, stir until combined and then add the vegetable broth.

Seal the instant pot and pressure cook for 20 minutes, once the 20 minutes are up, manually use the quick release function to release the pressure. Serve warm.

Equipment

Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. This is the crockpot that I use and I love it! I also just love the simplicity of simple white bowls, I think that they really make this soup pop!

Storage

Store the soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The barley will absorb a lot of the liquid as the days go on. Sometimes I will need to add a little more liquid when reheating the leftovers.

These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.

Top tip

As barley is a grain, make sure to wash and rinse your barley before adding it to the soup. A quick 30-second rinse in the colander should do the barley well, then add directly to the crockpot with the other ingredients.