Warm Winter-to-Spring Vegetable Soup (Print Version)

A wholesome bowl of barley with seasonal winter and spring vegetables, rich in flavor and nutrients.

# Ingredient List:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, sliced
02 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
03 - 2 medium parsnips, peeled and diced
04 - 1 small rutabaga, peeled and diced
05 - 1 cup green cabbage, shredded
06 - 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
07 - 2 celery stalks, diced
08 - 2 garlic cloves, minced

→ Grains

09 - 3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed

→ Liquids

10 - 8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
11 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Herbs & Seasonings

12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add leek, carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, and celery. Sauté for 5–7 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
03 - Stir in the pearl barley, then pour in the vegetable broth. Add bay leaf, thyme, and marjoram. Bring to a boil.
04 - Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until barley and root vegetables are tender.
05 - Add cabbage and spinach. Simmer uncovered for another 5–7 minutes, until greens are wilted but still vibrant.
06 - Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve hot.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like comfort but feels light enough for the season ahead, which is harder to pull off than you'd think.
  • The barley soaks up all the vegetable flavors and becomes almost creamy without any cream at all.
  • You probably have most of these ingredients already, or can swap them for whatever's in your crisper drawer.
02 -
  • Rinsing the barley actually matters because it prevents your beautiful clear broth from turning into wallpaper paste.
  • Don't oversalt early on because vegetable broth already has salt, and you'll regret it when you taste the finished soup and have to awkwardly add water.
03 -
  • Dice all your vegetables roughly the same size so everything cooks evenly and your soup doesn't have some pieces mushy and others still crunchy.
  • Make a double batch because this soup actually tastes better the next day when everything has had time to get friendly with each other in the refrigerator.
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