Tomato Barley Soup with Roasted Chickpeas

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.

📖 Recipe

Tomato Barley Soup with Roasted Chickpeas

Stephanie McKercher, RDN

Tuscan-inspired Tomato Barley Soup with Lacinato kale is topped with crispy roasted chickpeas in this easy, plant-based lunch or dinner recipe.

4.42 from 12 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course dinner, lunch, Soup

Cuisine Mediterranean, vegan, vegetarian

Servings 4 people

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

Click here to view the recipe for Vegan Cheesy Herb Roasted Chickpeas

Soup thickens in refrigerator. You may need to add broth or water before reheating leftovers.

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