Nutritious meets comfort in this hearty turkey barley vegetable soup! It’s loaded with veggies and can be made gluten-free, paleo, or vegan.
Do you ever find yourself craving comfort food without all the carbs? Something hearty and nourishing that won’t leave you feeling heavy or bloated afterward?
That’s my favorite time to make deliciously satisfying turkey barley vegetable soup! It’s loaded with feel-good ingredients that will warm you up from the inside out.
This versatile recipe can also be made gluten-free, vegan, or paleo with just a few simple tweaks! No matter what style of eating works best for you, there’s a version of this soup you’re going to love.
And to top it all off, it’s so easy to make! Everything comes together in one pot on the stove for simple prep and clean-up. What’s more comforting than that?
How to make turkey barley vegetable soup
This cozy dish comes together in just five simple steps. Let’s see how it’s done!
Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot.
Step 2: Once the oil is hot, add the turkey and cook until no longer pink. Drain on paper towels.
Step 3: Return the turkey to the pot and add the water, bouillon, carrots, onion, green pepper, barley, salt, pepper, bay leaves, ketchup, tomatoes, and tomato sauce.
Step 4: Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about an hour.
Step 5: Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Divide into bowls, add a few crackers or maybe some crusty bread on the side if you aren’t watching your carbs, and enjoy!
Variations for this recipe
Looking for a gluten-free version? No problem! All you have to do is replace the barley with a gluten-free grain like brown rice or quinoa.
In the mood for something without meat? Skip the turkey and throw in more veggies! If you want the dish to be vegan, make sure to also use vegan bouillon instead of chicken.
Prefer a paleo soup? Simply omit the barley. The rest of the soup is good to go!
Storage
I love making a big batch of soup so I know I’ll have leftovers. The flavors deepen after sitting in the refrigerator overnight, and having lunch or dinner ready to go is such a treat!
Any extra soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to four days.
Other hearty soup recipes
When I’m in the mood for comfort, soup is always my go-to. It’s nourishing, easy to make, and usually means I’ll have leftovers to enjoy throughout the week. Here are a few of my favorite recipes I think you’ll enjoy:
When you’ve tried this soup, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked it and rate the recipe in the comments below!
Turkey Barley Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1½ pounds ground turkey
- 6 cups water
- 1 cube beef or chicken bouillon
- 2 cups carrots (fresh or frozen — sliced)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 medium green pepper (chopped)
- ⅓ cup barley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes (undrained)
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot.2 teaspoons olive oil
- Once the oil is hot, add the turkey and cook until no longer pink. Drain on paper towels.1½ pounds ground turkey
- Return the turkey to the pot and add the water, bouillon, carrots, onion, green pepper, barley, salt, pepper, bay leaves, ketchup, tomatoes, and tomato sauce.6 cups water, 1 cube beef or chicken bouillon, 2 cups carrots, 1 medium onion, 1 medium green pepper, ⅓ cup barley, 1 teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, 2 bay leaves, ¼ cup ketchup, 28 ounces diced tomatoes, 8 ounces tomato sauce
- Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about an hour.
- Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Mine is in the slow cooker now and it smells delicious. I browned the turkey and onion in the oil before draining and adding to the pot. I only had one pound of ground turkey so I will add a can of white beans at the end.