Hearty Barley with Vegetables (Printable)
Comforting barley cooked slowly with vegetables and herbs for a warm, hearty dish.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Grains
01 - 1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 carrots, diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 1 parsnip, diced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 7 ounces mushrooms, sliced
→ Liquids
08 - 4 cups vegetable broth
09 - 1 cup water
→ Herbs & Seasonings
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
14 - ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
15 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
# How-To Steps:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and parsnip. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until vegetables soften.
02 - Add garlic and mushrooms to the pot. Cook for 3 minutes until fragrant and mushrooms release moisture.
03 - Stir in barley, dried thyme, and bay leaf. Cook for 1 minute to lightly toast the barley.
04 - Pour in vegetable broth and water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Test barley for tenderness; it should be tender yet slightly chewy. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
06 - Remove the bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It fills the kitchen with the kind of smell that makes everyone suddenly hungry, even if they weren't five minutes before.
- Actually gets better if you make extra—it keeps for days and reheats like a dream.
- Comes together in about an hour but tastes like you've been tending it all afternoon.
02 -
- Barley needs to be rinsed beforehand, or it'll cook cloudy and taste like starch instead of grain—this is the difference between rough and refined.
- Those 40 minutes of simmering can't be rushed; the grain needs time to absorb the broth and turn creamy at the edges while staying chewy in the middle.
03 -
- Make extra and store it in the fridge for days; it actually gets better as the flavors settle and it reheats like it was made yesterday, not three days ago.
- If your barley finishes cooking but still tastes a little starchy, a splash of good vinegar or lemon juice at the end wakes everything up without making it sour.