Barley Sausage & Vegetable Soup With Bacon - Graupensuppe

6 servings
44 min

Hearty, smokey, and warming barley soup with sausage is classic German comfort food. This Graupensuppe is packed with vegetables, so you can even make it without the sausage and bacon if that sounds more appealing!

I'm a big fan of stews and soups because you throw everything in one pot and let it simmer. It's ready in 30 minutes and will taste like it has been cooking all day long!

It's not winter without a pot of hot soup. So when the cold weather rolls around, we're making it every week!


If you've never cooked with barley before, this is the recipe to make! My Dutch oven chicken barley soup, also packed with vegetables, is a runner-up.

What is barley?

Barley is a cereal grain of round or oblong-round shape. It's a key ingredient in beer and whiskey production, a filling ingredient in soups and stews, a side dish, and people use it in bread in some cultures.



Cooked barley is an excellent addition to a leftover stew that would no longer be enough for a full meal.


This soup, loaded with delicious smokey sausage and bacon flavor will leave you feeling satisfied and comforted. So why not give it a try today? You won't be disappointed!

DOn't forget to visit the original blog post for more tips, variations, and FAQs.

Barley Sausage & Vegetable Soup With Bacon - Graupensuppe
Recipe details
  • 6  servings
  • Prep time: 14 Minutes Cook time: 30 Minutes Total time: 44 min
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Ingredients

  • ▢ 1 tablespoon butter
  • ▢ 2 thick slices of bacon cut into chunks
  • ▢ 1 Onion diced
  • ▢ 7 oz. Kielbasa or another smoked sausage sliced
  • ▢ 2 small leeks chopped - white and light green parts only
  • ▢ 2 small chopped carrots
  • ▢ 1 celery stalk chopped
  • ▢ 1 medium potato peeled and chopped
  • ▢ 1/2 cup quick barley
  • ▢ 1 teaspoon oregano
  • ▢ 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ▢ 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • ▢ salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • ▢ 1 bay leaf
  • ▢ 4 cups chicken broth
Instructions

Heat a large Dutch oven or pot on medium-high heat. Add the butter and bacon and fry to render most of its fat, but bacon is still soft and not crispy. Remove some of the fat if necessary - you should have about 2-3 tablespoons left in the pot.
Lower the heat to medium, add the onions and sliced sausage and cook until onions are translucent and the sausage and bacon are browned.
Add the leeks, carrots, celery, and potatoes; sauté until softened, about 5 minutes - season with salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, and nutmeg.
Pour in the broth, add barley and bay leaf, then bring to a boil; lower the heat and cook for 20-30 minutes or until barley and potatoes are cooked.
Garnish with fresh parsley if desired and serve hot.
Tips
  • You can use either celery stalks or root - celeriac, or both.
  • Barley tends to "grow" even when refrigerated. Add more broth or water if it has a stew-like consistency or is too thick - best when it's in between soup and stew - aka "stoup."
  • Make it in advance! This sausage barley soup is more delicious the next day, like all soups and stews allowed to steep overnight.
  • You can use pearl barley, but quick barley makes for a quick meal.
All that's Jas
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