For a warming and comforting meal, you should definitely make this Winter Vegetable Soup with Barley and Parmesan. It contains leeks, parsnips, turnips, celeriac, kale and pearl barley and is flavoured simply with white wine, bay leaves and parmesan cheese. It is the perfect Winter comfort food and a great vegetarian recipe.
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So apparently it’s going to snow here in Manchester TODAY. I’m rooting out my second hot water bottle as we speak. I’m not made for cold weather! Thankfully this wonderful Winter Vegetable Soup with Barley and Parmesan is just as warming and comforting, and perfect for this weather!
To add flavour to this soup we use a little white wine, a couple of bay leaves and Parmesan cheese. 3 ingredients, so simple! Those are mixed in to the starchy water we cook the vegetables and pearl barley in, and you’ve got yourself a creamy and flavoursome soup that will warm you up and keep you full for hours. Bring on the snow!
How to make homemade vegetable soup:
The wonderful thing about homemade soup is that you can make it exactly to your own preferences. Plus it’s a great way to use up veg that needs eating up. This is a loose guideline to making your own soup, you can customise it to your hearts content!
- Start by heating a casserole pot (a Le Cruset is great for this) to a medium heat with a tablespoon of oil.
- Saute your aromatic veggies (think onions, leeks garlic, ginger) for 4-5 minutes until they have softened. In this recipe we use leeks.
- Add any hard vegetables (carrots, parsnips, swede, parsnips, turnips etc) and cook them for up to 5 minutes until they are beginning to soften.
- Then add in any other vegetables you desire (broccoli, peppers, courgettes, mushrooms, beans etc) and saute for a minute or two. If you’re adding any dried herbs or fresh hard herbs (such as rosemary or thyme) add those in now along with any pasta or grains you might want in the soup.
- Cover all of the vegetables in enough water or stock to ensure everything is submerged. You could also add tinned tomatoes at this point. Leave to cook for around half an hour. The soup is done when the vegetables are tender.
- At this point you could add softer herbs, such as parsley or basil. You can chose to leave the soup as it or blend it up to give you a smooth soup. Make sure to taste and add any salt and pepper as required.
And there you go, super simple, homemade vegetable soup! Enjoy!
Winter Vegetable Soup with Barley and Parmesan
Leave the soup to cool at room temperature for no more than two hours. Transfer the soup into Tupperware containers and store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Once the soup has cooled, transfer it into freezer safe containers and transfer to the freezer where it can stay for up to 6 months.
To defrost the soup remove it from the freezer and leave it in the fridge to defrost. This can take up to 24 hours. Alternatively, you can use a microwave with the defrost setting to thaw the soup.
Add the soup to a saucepan and bring to a boil on the hob. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes until the soup and vegetables are piping hot all the way through.
Barley contains gluten and therefore should not be included if you eat a gluten-free diet. Instead, you could replace the barley with grains such as rice, quinoa or buckwheat. Rinse your chosen grain and add to the soup for its required cooking time.
To make this recipe vegan omit the parmesan. You can leave it out entirely or add in a little nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavour. Also, make sure the wine you use is suitable for vegans.
Why you should make this soup…
- Veggies, veggies and more veggies! We’re talking leeks, parsnip, turnip, celeriac and kale. Your tummy will do a happy dance.
- The pearl barley makes it super filling. This is a proper substantial soup, nothing like the stuff you’d get in a pre-made tin.
- The flavours! It’s incredibly how much flavour you get from vegetables, grains, wine, bay leaves, Parmesan and a bit of salt and pepper. We’re not even using stock!
- The vegetables and pearl barley release starch out into the water. When that mixes with the Parmesan cheese you get a wonderful, creamy broth. SO GOOD.
More warming Winter recipes you might enjoy…
- Vegetable, Chicken and Bacon Pie
- Butternut Squash Soup with Celeriac and Apple
- Moroccan Vegetable Tagine Recipe
- Vegan Bolognese with Mushrooms and Lentils
- Simple Tadka Dal with Butternut Squash
- Leek and Stilton Soup from The Spruce Eats
Winter Vegetable Soup with Barley and Parmesan
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This homemade vegetable soup recipe is filled with chunky vegetables, pearl barley, kale and Parmesan. Warming, hearty and full of flavour!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 75 grams pearl barley
- 2 leeks, outer leaves removed then sliced
- 1 parsnip, peeled and diced
- 2 turnips, peeled and diced
- 1/4 celeriac, peeled and diced
- 180 millilitres white wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 1.5 litres boiled water
- 25 grams Parmesan cheese
- 2 handfuls kale
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Boil a kettle. Rinse the pearl barley in a sieve until the water runs clear. Add to a saucepan with enough boiled water to cover the barley, then boil for 10 minutes.
- In a separate saucepan or casserole pot, heat the olive oil to a medium heat. Saute the sliced leeks for 3-4 minutes until softened, but not coloured.
- Add the parsnip, turnip and celeriac to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour the wine into the pan and cook for 5 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the bay leaves.
- Drain the pearl barley and discard the cooking water, then add it to the vegetable pot with 1.5 litres of boiling water. Allow the mixture to simmer for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes add in the kale and cook for a further 10 minutes.
- Test the pearl barley and vegetables to make sure they are cooked through. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and black pepper.
- Once everything is incorporated taste the broth and add salt as required.
- Serve in bowls with thick slices of buttered bread. Enjoy!
Keywords: Winter Soup, Pearl Barley Soup, Winter Vegetable Soup, Vegetable Broth, Vegetable Soup
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