Tuscan-inspired Tomato Barley Soup with Lacinato kale is a delicious example of plant-based comfort food. Try it with (vegan) cheesy roasted chickpeas on top!
You might be feeling a little overwhelmed and/or fatigued by all the holiday recipes right about now. (At least if you follow a lot of food bloggers like I do.) And hey, I’ve got nothing against the holidays. I’ve been celebrating myself with maple-roasted carrots and tahini cookies recently on the blog.
Thing is, the holidays only last a couple days, and a girl’s still gotta eat the rest of the month, too. Know what I mean?
Well I have the answer. Comforting, Tuscan-inspired tomato barley soup.
There’s so much to love about this easy, plant-based lunch or dinner idea.
First, it’s made with simple ingredients like canned tomatoes, greens, and whole-grain barley. The only issue you might run into is with the nutritional yeast for the Cheesy Roasted Chickpeas.
They stock nutritional yeast in the natural/organic aisle in my small-town grocery store, but if yours doesn’t have it, you can also order on Amazon. If you’re looking for a substitute (and don’t mind if the recipe contains dairy), try grated parmesan.
I don't recommend skipping the chickpeas! They’re one of the most popular recipes on the blog for a reason, and this is the perfect excuse to try them.
The second thing I love about this recipe is that you can make the whole thing ahead of time. Leftovers FTW! The soup thickens over time in the fridge, so you may want to add a little extra broth or water before you reheat it.
I also like to pop the roasted chickpeas back in the oven so they’re nice and crispy by the time I’m ready to eat them.
Speaking of eating, the best thing, of course, is the way this Tomato Barley Soup tastes. Garlicky, herbaceous, hearty and comforting. Can you really imagine anything better?
You’ve got to eat something over the next couple weeks. Right?
Tomato Barley Soup with Roasted Chickpeas might as well be your go-to lunch and dinner.
Tomato Barley Soup with Roasted Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion (1 medium)
- 3 carrots, diced
- 1 cup dry barley, rinsed
- 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes (preferably fire roasted)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 6 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 tablespoon dry oregano
- 1 tablespoon dry basil
- 2 teaspoons crushed rosemary
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups chopped Lacinato kale (1 pound)
Optional for serving:
- 1 batch Vegan Cheesy Herb Roasted Chickpeas (see notes below for recipe link)
- Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Add olive oil, onion, and carrots to a preheated stockpot over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Stir in barley and cook 5 minutes, or until grains are aromatic.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, tomato paste, garlic, oregano, basil, rosemary, crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low-medium and simmer 40 minutes, or until barley is tender but still slightly al dente. Stir in kale and cook 5 minutes, or until wilted and tender.
- Serve with Vegan Cheesy Herb Roasted Chickpeas if desired.
Video
Notes
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Erin says
This soup was AMAZING!!! The chickpeas took it over the top! The only thing I subbed was miso for the nutritional yeast, because I just don't like it. Thank you for this hearty and delicious recipe : )
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Thanks, Erin! So glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Nancy P says
Love this soup. So easy and delicious
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Thanks, Nancy! Glad you like it 🙂
Natasha says
I batched this recipe for meals this week. I was lazy and added the chickpeas into the soup. Used curly kale instead of lacinato. Had it today for lunch. Really enjoyed it. Thanks for the great recipe.
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Thanks, Natasha! So glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Molly says
I made this for dinner last night and it was fantastic. Very flavorful, hearty and satisfying. I used unhulled barley and I added more crushed red pepper and oregano than the recipe called for, but otherwise I followed it. Also, due to a misunderstanding my boyfriend added a can of chickpeas to the soup (I was letting them dry before I intended to roast them) but it just made the soup even heartier. Don't skip the roasted chickpeas on top. They are packed with flavor!
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Thanks so much for your feedback, Molly! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂