Hearty Barley and Vegetable Soup with Smoked Paprika

By AislePrompt Test Kitchen · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-16 · Updated 2026-04-16

A deeply flavorful, comforting soup featuring chewy barley, roasted vegetables, and a smoky paprika depth. This french-inspired soups (vegetarian) ready in about 50 minutes pairs rinsed barley, stalks, diced celery, medium, finely diced onion for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 180 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup, rinsed barley
• 2 medium, diced into 1/4-inch cubes carrots
• 2 stalks, diced celery
• 1 medium, finely diced onion
• 2 cloves, minced garlic
• 1 medium, diced zucchini
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can (14.5 oz), drained diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Step 1: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add diced carrots, celery, and onion; cook for 6 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally.
2. Step 2: Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, then add 1/2 cup rinsed barley, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper; stir to coat evenly for 30 seconds.
3. Step 3: Add 4 cups vegetable broth, drained diced tomatoes, and 1 cup diced zucchini; bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until barley is tender and zucchini is soft.
4. Step 4: Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed; serve hot with extra thyme for garnish.