Vegan Beef & Barley Soup

Vegan Beef & Barley Soup

Soup and comfort go hand in hand. With hearty ingredients and rich broths they warm you up on cold nights and keep you nice and full longer. There is no better time to love soup more than during the fall. The weather outside is cold yet beautiful and refreshing yet poetic. When you add soup into your menu you have a wide possibility of choices, so many flavors and ingredients to be used. Classic soups are truly the best, they can remind you or memories past. Mom, grandma, dad, grandpa, and even plenty of opportunities to make new memories with these new recipes. Beef and barley soup is a very old world traditional soup, with robust flavors and hearty ingredients, you are sure to be satisfied after every bowl. 

This recipe shows you how to make a wonderful vegan beef and barley soup. Every fall brings comforts that can be delish and of course vegan, this soup is no different. Plenty of veggies and vegan beef (or for a substitute, mushrooms), it will be sure to please you and your family when you are looking for a warm up after a long day of cold activities. Make ahead, perfect in a crock-pot, amazing for lunch or dinner. Serve with a fresh garden salad and your favorite bread and you are all set on a cold night in. Enjoy!

Vegan Beef & Barley Soup

Ingredients

-2 Tablespoons oil 

-1 bag of Gardein Beef Tips (cut each piece into quarters) OR 3 cups chunked portobellos mushrooms
-2 Tablespoona tomato paste 

-12 cups water
-4 to 5 Tablespoons vegan beef bouillon 

-1 Tablespoon vegan chicken bouillon
-3 large carrots, peeled, halved and cut into 1/2-inch slices

-2 large cloves garlic, minced 

-2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch slices
-1 medium yellow onion, diced
-2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

-1 Tablespoon fresh parsley
-2 small bay leafs or 1 large bay leaf
-1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste 

-1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste 

-2 Tablespoon vegan Worcestershire Sauce

-1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke 

-Pinch Nutmeg
-1/2 cup uncooked organic barley 

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil to the large pot or dutch oven and add the onions, carrots, celery, vegan meat, seasonings, herbs, vegan beef (or mushrooms) and garlic. 

Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. You want to saute the veggies and herbs to add extra flavor. 

Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes.

Once your tomato paste is combined, add the vegan chicken & beef stock. Stir to combine the soup ingredient with the broth. At this point you can taste for salt and add more black pepper if desired.

Cover the pot and cook on the stove over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes or until the soup comes to a boil. Add in your barley, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 45 to 60 minutes or until vegetables and barley have cooked threw. Stir the soup occasionally during cooking. If the stew is boiling rather than simmering, lower the heat.

Once the soup has cooked and and the ingredients are tender, taste and adjust for seasoning. When it's done, remove the bay leaf and serve with fresh garden salad and/or your favorite bread. Enjoy!

Ready to Serve Soup

-Amy