Barley Spinach Soup with Vegan Crème Fraîche

This creamy green soup is a delicious blend of spinach, peas, and pears. Garnish it with a swirl of our vegan crème fraîche for a fancy finish.

Barley Spinach Soup with Vegan Crème Fraîche

Info

Nutrition per serving
NutrientAmountRDA
Net Carbs53.4 g19.4%
of which Sugars14.3 g15.9%
Fibers15.2 g54.2%
Fats13.8 g21.2%
of which Saturates2.2 g10.9%
of which Omega 30.2 g19%
Proteins12.6 g27.4%
Calcium127 mg12.7%
Vitamin A255 mcg36.4%
Vitamin C43 mg57.5%
Iron4.7 mg31.6%
Potassium764 mg21.8%
Sodium53 mg2.3%
Cholesterol0 mg0%
Kcal388 19.4%
Macro split
  • net carbs 56%
  • sugars 15%
  • fats 15%
  • saturates 2%
  • proteins 13%
  • fibers 16%
*RDA based on a 2000 kcal diet;
**Nutritional data sources: USDA, food labels.
KCAL
388 per serving
TIME
30m
HEALTH

We bring you a hearty vegan soup with fresh spinach, wholesome barley, crunchy pears, and dairy-free crème fraîche.

Ready in less than 30 minutes, this recipe doesn't require much work, but it packs big flavour. Let's take a quick a look at what makes this soup special.

The flavour. We layered the comforting flavours of peas, spinach, and pearl barley, with that of sugary and crunchy pears. We love this contrast as it gives us a soup that is still very much homey but with a tad of complexity that makes every spoonful stand out.

The fibres. Nothing says "healthy" as much as fibre-rich food. Spinach, pears, and barley all have lots of dietary fibres that will fill you up and aid your digestion.

The creaminess. Creamy, warm, and hearty. That's the good stuff! We blended all the base ingredients into a smooth velouté soup and topped everything off with a swirl of low-fat, vegan crème fraîche. Yum!

Overall, our barley and spinach soup makes a full meal with a hearty yet exciting flavour and a balanced nutritional profile. From a big bowl, you'll get 60% RDI for fibres, 28% RDI for proteins, and 20% RDI of carbs. Great for a weekend lunch or cosy dinner!

Love barley and on the look out for more healthy vegan barley recipes? Try some crunchy Cretan rusk bread made with barley flour or this posh vegan barley risotto with beets and cashew cream.

Ingredients

Adjustments
Serves
Measuring System
Soup
Pearl Barley200 g
Extra Virgin Olive Oil2 tbsp
Medium Red Onion1
Spinach200 g
Peas200 g
Pears2
Vegan Crème Fraîche
Cashew Nuts50 g
Soy Yogurt100 g
Lemon Juice1 tsp

Step 1

Rinse well the barley, add it to a pot, and cover it with water.

Bring to a boil and cook the barley for 15 minutes over medium heat.

Then, drain it and set it aside.

Vegan Crème Fraîche

Step 2

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a clean pot and sizzle the chopped onions for a few minutes.

When they're soft and fragrant, add fresh spinach, peas, and pears, peeled and cored.

Then, pour in enough water to almost cover the vegetables, bring it to a boil and cook the soup for 15 minutes.

Pear, peas and spinach in a pot

Step 3

Once the vegs are soft and cooked through, blitz the soup with an immersion blender to make a creamy velouté.

Then, season it with salt and pepper to taste.

Blended spinach soup

Step 4

To prepare the vegan crème fraîche, soak the cashew nuts in a bowl with water for 10 minutes.

Then, drain them and transfer them to a food processor along with the soy yogurt and lemon juice.

Blitz the ingredients into a velvety paste and season it with salt to taste.

Vegan Crème Fraîche with cashews

Step 5

Finally, add the cooked barley to the spinach velouté and divide the soup among bowls.

Then, top it with a few tablespoons of crème fraîche and stir all into a gorgeous swirl.

You can garnish the soup with cracked black pepper and chopped coriander if you like.

Spinach soup with barley and vegan crème fraîche

Tips

  • Sprinkle the soup with chilli flakes for a spicy kick.

  • Instead of peas, you can use white beans like cannellini, butter beans, or chickpeas.

  • Store the soup in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.