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Slow Cooker Vegetarian French Onion Barley Soup
The secret to this rich, meat-free broth is a clever splash of soy sauce and red wine. It builds all the deep, caramelized flavor of a classic French onion soup while the slow cooker does the heavy lifting. Pearl barley adds a satisfying chew that makes the bowl incredibly hearty. You'll finish it off with crusty baguette slices and melted cheese for that signature gooey topping.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 medium onions (any type), thinly sliced
- 1 cup uncooked pearl barley
- 8 cups Veggie Scraps Broth ( page 120 ) , low-sodium vegetable broth, or water
- ¼ cup dry red wine or red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons less-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, leaves and stems, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, plus sprigs for garnish if desired
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 slices baguette or slim-sized crusty whole-grain bread
- 2 ounces cheese (such as mozzarella, Manchego, or Monterey Jack), cut into 8 slices
Instructions
- 1Coat the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker with the olive oil and arrange the sliced onions in an even layer. An even layer helps the onions soften uniformly.
- 2Scatter the pearl barley over the onions, then pour in the vegetable broth, red wine, soy sauce, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Secure the lid and cook on the high setting for 4 hours.
- 3About 15 minutes before the soup finishes cooking, position an oven rack 4 inches below the heating element and preheat the broiler to high.
- 4Arrange the baguette slices on a large, rimmed baking sheet and place one slice of cheese on each piece of bread.
- 5Broil the bread for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese melts completely. Watch closely here, as broilers can burn bread in seconds.
- 6Discard the bay leaf from the slow cooker. Divide the soup among eight bowls and top each with a slice of the toasted cheese bread.
Nutrition
282kcal
Calories
9g
Protein
6g
Fat
7g
Fiber
557mg
Sodium
6mg
Cholesterol
Notes
- Variation: Add 2 to 3 cups of sliced button or cremini mushrooms along with the broth for a hearty mushroom-barley version.
- Equipment: You can easily use a toaster oven to melt the cheese on the baguette slices if you don't want to turn on the main broiler.
- Serving: Ladle the soup over the cheese bread in the bowls, or place the bread on top of the soup depending on how soft you like your bread.
- Make ahead: The soup base can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Toast the cheesy bread right before serving.