This flavorful Bean and Barley Soup is a broth-based soup that’s packed with healthy, high fiber foods including barley, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, and vegetables. There is no meat in this soup, so it can be made vegetarian/vegan by swapping out the beef broth with vegetable broth.

Fiber with a side of fiber.

Barley = fiber.
Garbanzo beans = fiber.
Kidney beans = fiber.
Carrots, celery, arugula/spinach = fiber.
Tomatoes = fiber.

I mean, obviously, there is a lot more good going on in this soup (it’s high in vitamin A, for instance), but fiber is clearly the star of the show here. If you eat one cup of this soup, you will be getting 7 grams of fiber, which is about 28% of your daily recommended value according to a 2,000 calorie diet. So, if you eat 2 servings in one day, you are over half-way to the recommended daily intake of fiber! Pictured below is the nutrition facts chart for one (one cup) serving of this soup:

Paying attention to sodium?

I know some MPM readers have expressed the need to keep an eye on their sodium intake. If this is you, feel free to use reduced-sodium broth and be sure to rinse and drain the beans well before adding them to the soup. You could also leave out one can of soup or use dry beans that are soaked/cooked until they are softened. The canned broth and canned beans are fairly high in sodium, so these ideas are quick and easy ways you can be in control of that.

This soup is really versatile.

Not a fan of one of the ingredients? No problem. Leave it out or switch it with something else.

Ingredients you can leave out and still have good results:

• Tomatoes
• One of the cans of beans
• Onion
• Carrots
• Celery
• Barley
• Arugula or spinach
• Parmesan cheese

Add-ins/substitutes that you can use and still have good results:

• Small pasta (like ditalini or acini de pepe)
• Chopped potatoes
• Green beans
• Corn
• Zucchini
• Ground turkey
• Chopped lean steak

More WW friendly soup recipes!

One of my favorite lists on the blog right now is the soups list. Everyone loves a nice, warm bowl of soup this time of year, and the truth is, most soups (especially broth-based soups) are relatively good for you and low in WW FreeStyle Smart Points!

If you are looking for some more soup ideas, you will want to check out the list HERE that gives over 50 recipes that are between 0-6 WW SP per serving!

Okay, let’s get to the versatile soup of the day…

Here is what you need:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 cups fat-free beef broth
1 (15.5 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 (15.5 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style tomatoes (tomatoes with basil, oregano, etc.)
1/2 cup quick pearled barley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 cup baby arugula or baby spinach

Here is what you do:

Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, and onion. Cook 5-6 minutes, or until the vegetables are crispy tender.

Stir in broth, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, barley, Parmesan cheese, chili powder, and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes.

Stir in arugula or spinach and cook an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the greens are wilted.

Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.
One serving is 1 cup.
One serving is 5 green, 2 blue, and 1 purple point.

Print Recipe

4.50 from 4 votes

Bean and Barley Soup

One serving is 5 green, 2 blue, and 1 purple point.

Makes: 8 servings

Calories: 168

Author: Alisha Hughes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cups fat-free beef broth
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style tomatoes (tomatoes with basil, oregano, etc.)
• 1/2 cup quick pearled barley
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1 cup baby arugula or baby spinach

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, and onion. Cook 5-6 minutes, or until the vegetables are crispy tender.
• Stir in broth, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, barley, Parmesan cheese, chili powder, and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes.
• Stir in arugula or spinach and cook an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the greens are wilted.
• Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes before serving.