Double Lentil and Mushroom Barley Soup (Printable version)

Hearty soup with double lentils, mushrooms, barley, and collard greens. Protein-rich vegan comfort in every bowl.

# What You Need:

→ Legumes & Grains

01 - ½ cup red lentils, rinsed
02 - ½ cup brown lentils, rinsed
03 - ¾ cup pearl barley, rinsed

→ Vegetables

04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 2 medium carrots, diced
08 - 2 celery stalks, diced
09 - 10 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
10 - 4 cups chopped collard greens

→ Liquids

11 - 8 cups vegetable broth
12 - 1 cup water

→ Herbs & Seasonings

13 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
15 - 2 bay leaves
16 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
17 - ½ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
18 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional for garnish

# Step-by-step guide:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté for 3 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic, diced carrots, and diced celery. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until fragrant and beginning to soften.
03 - Add sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, approximately 5 minutes.
04 - Stir in red and brown lentils, pearl barley, dried thyme, smoked paprika, and bay leaves until well combined.
05 - Pour in vegetable broth and water. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
06 - Cover pot and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils and barley begin to soften.
07 - Add chopped collard greens, salt, and black pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes until barley and lentils reach tender consistency.
08 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Remove bay leaves. Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It gets better as it sits, so you'll find yourself sneaking bowls the next day because the flavors have deepened overnight.
  • One pot means cleanup feels almost reasonable, and the whole thing comes together while you're doing other things.
  • You can actually taste the protein working here—this isn't soup that leaves you hungry an hour later.
02 -
  • Rinsing the lentils and barley isn't just fancy—it prevents them from turning into starch soup, so please don't skip this step no matter how rushed you feel.
  • The soup thickens significantly as it cools, which is lovely the next day but means you might want to add extra broth if reheating, because it can go from silky to sludgy quickly.
03 -
  • Don't rush the mushroom browning—those few minutes of patience create a depth that vegetable-only soups can't match, and it's worth every second.
  • If your soup tastes flat, it's usually salt—add it a pinch at a time, tasting as you go, because barley especially drinks up seasoning as it cooks.
Go Back