If you’re looking for soup that warms the heart (literally and figuratively!), check out this healthy, delicious, plant-based (vegan) Barley Vegetable Stone Soup recipe. This hearty vegetable soup is essentially a meal in a bowl and was inspired by the stone soup stories my own children were told when they were kids.The story of Stone Soup is adapted from the 1947 French classic story stone soup Marcia Brown’s work tells the story of three hungry soldiers who travel to a village in search of food. When the villagers refused to give the soldiers food, they began to make a large pot of soup using three stones and water. The soldiers thought it would be better to add a few carrots to the soup. So the villagers came back with aprons full of carrots. What about, say, some cabbage…potatoes…barley? The villagers worked step by step, and finally turned the pot of stones into a delicious meal for the whole village, as well as a large piece of bread and a glass of cider.
I love this story because it highlights how some earthy ingredients from the garden can nourish the mind, body, and soul. It also embodies the spirit of community and sharing – a practice that goes back generations. What’s better than sharing a comforting bowl of vegetable soup with your loved ones? I love pairing this barley vegetable stone soup with a salad for a satisfying meal packed with disease-fighting nutrients. Filled with vegetables like carrots, zucchini, canned tomatoes, lentils, barley, and herbs, this barley vegetable soup is rich in protein, fiber, minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals.
Making stone soup as a kids activity
When my kids were little, I made this soup using a real rock as part of an activity in their classroom. It’s a wonderful, engaging teaching tool about the power of giving and healthy eating. Here’s what you have to do:
- Assign each child an ingredient brought from home and a printed recipe to share with the family (have parents help chop up the ingredient and put it into containers).
- Place a large pot over a hot plate or burner (be careful children don’t burn themselves) and add the stock and water.
- Place a large clean rock into the pot (be sure to scrub it with dish soap and hot water before using). Share the story of hungry villagers. Then invite each child to play a villager and add their ingredients to the pot.
- Remove the stones, stir the pot, cover and cook until cooked. Serve the soup for the kids to enjoy.
- Take a moment to talk about healthy ingredients and how they can help kids stay strong and energetic.
I made this recipe in my own kitchen as part of my Instagram Live Sustainability Series to reduce food waste here. Making soup is a great way to use up all your produce on the weekend and avoid food waste.
describe
Filled with vegetables, lentils, barley, and herbs, this Barley Vegetable Stone Soup is inspired by the classic stone soup story of sharing and making something out of nothing.
- 4 cups vegetable soup
- 2 cups water
- 1 (14.5 oz) canned diced tomatoes, liquid, low sodium
- ½ cup brown or green lentils, uncooked
- ½ cup Barley, uncooked
- 1 medium onion (red, yellow or white), chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Celery stalks, diced
- 2 medium (about 2 ounces each) carrots, sliced (purple, yellow or orange)
- 2 small (about 5 ounces each) zucchini (i.e. zucchini, scallop squash, yellow squash), sliced
- 4 small (about 4 ounces each) thin-skinned potatoes, diced (i.e. Yukon Gold potatoes or red potatoes)
- 1 cup Mushrooms, sliced
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- ½ teaspoon chili
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- 6 Whole wheat bread slices
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup Chopped fresh herbs (i.e. sage, parsley, basil, oregano, chives, marjoram)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
- In a large pot, add stock, water and canned tomatoes. Stir well and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Add lentils, barley, onions, garlic, celery, carrots, zucchini, potatoes, mushrooms, black pepper, paprika, thyme, oregano and mustard. Mix well and cover. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until barley and lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. Replenishes moisture lost through evaporation (should result in a thick, rich texture).
- Toast the whole wheat bread in the oven or toaster until brown and very crispy. Cut into small cubes.
- Add lemon juice and fresh herbs to the soup and season with salt (optional).
- Ladle hot soup into soup bowls and garnish with whole wheat croutons (1/2 slice of toast per serving). Refrigerate remaining soup and reheat as needed (add croutons before serving to maintain a crispy texture).
notes
To make this recipe in the slow cooker, add all ingredients from steps 1-2 to the slow cooker, stir well, cover, and set to HIGH for 4 hours. Once done, follow the instructions in Step 3, add the ingredients from Step 4 to the slow cooker, and then serve the soup as directed in Step 5.
Instant Pot Instructions: Steps 1-2 should be done in the Instant Pot, add all of these ingredients and follow the “Chili/Bean” setting. Please follow steps 3-5 above.
To make this recipe gluten-free, replace the barley with a gluten-free grain (i.e. quinoa, brown rice, or sorghum) and use gluten-free bread.
- Preparation time: 20 minutes
- Cooking time: 45 minutes
- category: Soup
- gourmet food: American
Nutrition
- Serving size: 1 1/4 cups
- Calories: 155
- sugar: 4 grams
- sodium: 197 mg
- fat: 1 g
- Saturated fat: 0 grams
- carbohydrate: 33 grams
- fiber: 6 grams
- protein: 6 grams
- cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: Vegetable soup, stone soup, vegetarian soup
For other delicious plant-based soup recipes, check out some of my favorites:
Fiesta Turmeric Pumpkin Soup
Vegan Tortilla Soup
Easy Kabocha Pumpkin Miso Soup
classic tomato soup
Spiced Deli Pumpkin Soup
Winter Melon Gluten Mushroom Soup
Roasted Butternut Squash and Hazelnut Soup
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