Chunky vegan vegetable beef soup with barley

Chunks of Impossible steak in vegan vegetable beef soup with peas, green beans, and carrots.

5 from 2 votes

Chunky vegan vegetable beef soup with barley

Turn the nostalgia dial up to 11 with this comforting soup. It's like that old school vegetable beef soup went vegan & got a glow up. With veggies aplenty and chewy bites of vegan steak & barley in an umami-rich broth, this soup is a full meal in a bowl.

Serves 4 to 6 people, depending on your appetites. (The nutrition info listed is for 4 servings.)

Prep Time15

Cook Time50

Total Time1 5

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: cozy dinner, one pot meal, winter food

Servings: people

Calories: 309kcal

Author: Cadry Nelson

Ingredients

2 teaspoons avocado oil divided
1 cup Impossible steak bites or your preferred vegan steak tips
1 medium yellow onion roughly chopped
1 cup sliced carrots thickly cut
1 cup sliced celery thickly cut
4 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon salt plus a pinch more, or to taste
1 teaspoon marjoram dried leaves
1 teaspoon thyme dried leaves
½ cup red wine
8 cups water
1 Tablespoon Better Than Bouillon no beef base
¾ teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup pearled barley
3 bay leaves dried
1 medium Russet potato about 1 cup chopped
1 cup peas fresh or frozen
1 cup cut green beans fresh or frozen*

Instructions

Bring a large soup pot to a medium heat, and add a teaspoon of avocado oil. Add Impossible steak bites, and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add another teaspoon of oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Incorporate with the vegan steak, and cook another 5 minutes, until the onions and garlic are fragrant.
Add marjoram & thyme, and cook another 30 seconds, fully incorporating them with the onions and garlic.
Add red wine to the pot, and use a spoon to incorporate any browned bits of steak or onions stuck to the pot. (This deglazes the pot & adds a lot of flavor.) Cook the wine down for about 3 minutes.
Add water, Better Than Bouillon no beef base, vegan Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, pearled barley, and bay leaves. Stir to incorporate, and bring to a simmer. Then lower heat to low-medium, and cover. Cook for 35 minutes, until the barley is tender.
Keep an eye on your cooking timer. When there's 20 minutes of cooking time left, add the potatoes. When there's 15 minutes left, add the green beans. And when there's 3 to 5 minutes left, add the peas.
(Note: If you prefer very soft potatoes, green beans, and peas, you can add them at the same time as the barley. Just be aware that the color of the green beans and peas won't be vibrant.)
Once the barley & potatoes are tender, turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves, and ladle the soup into bowls.

Notes

*If you're using fresh green beans, make sure you trim and cut them into bite-sized pieces. If using frozen, cut green beans can be added straight from the freezer.

Storage & reheating instructions

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep for about 4 days. Reheat in the pot on the stove or in the microwave.

Nutrition