Barley has a nice, chewy texture and tastes mildly nutty when cooked. It's a great addition to soups or as a side dish to protein and vegetables. With this easy tutorial, you'll learn how to cook barley on its own, including pearled and hulled, and how to cook it in soup. If you're getting tired of rice, give this barley a try.
The picture above shows cooked pearl barley on the left and cooked hulled barley on the right.
Cooked barley can be used in a wide variety of dishes, from soups and stews to salads, risottos, and casseroles. Its chewy texture and nutty flavor complement many recipes.
It can be enjoyed in both hot and cold dishes, making it a versatile grain for any meal or season.
I also have tutorials for how to cook brown rice on the stove and how to fry tofu in a pan.
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Difference Between Pearl and Hulled Barley
Barley usually comes in two main forms: pearl barley and hulled barley.
Hulled barely has everything but the outer hull, making it the healthier form of barley. It is darker in color in comparison to pearl barley. You'll get fiber and nutrients from the entire grain, not just the inner "pearls". The only downside is that hulled barley takes longer to cook.
Pearled barley is a form of barley with the husks and shells (the bran) removed through a process called 'pearling'. It's still nutritious and cooks a little faster than hulled barley.
Use pearl barley if: you're in a pinch, so you can cook the barley as soon as possible.
Use hulled barley if: you want to get the full benefit of this whole grain.
Pot Barley Vs. Hulled Barley
There is another form of barley, called Pot Barley. Pot barley is somewhere in between pearl barley and hulled barley in terms of processing. It is also put through a pearling machine, but for a shorter amount of time, which keeps some of the bran intact.
Ingredients
- pearl barley - You can also use hulled barley.
- water - Or use broth for more flavor.
- salt - Adjust to taste.
*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.
How to Cook Barley on Its Own
With this method we are simply cooking barley on the stove.
Step 1: Rinse Barley. Rinse the barley with cool water in a mesh strainer.
Step 2: Add Ingredients to Saucepan. Add the barley, water (or broth) and salt to a saucepan.
Step 3: Bring to Boil. Bring to a boil over high heat. Keep an eye on it, as it will start to foam up quickly once boiling.
(Pictured above: cooked pearl barley.)
Step 4: Cook. When the water comes to a boil, lower the heat for a gentle simmer and cover. Pearl barley needs to cook for 25 minutes or more and hulled barley needs to cook longer, for 40 minutes or more.
⭐Pro Tip: Check for doneness and water level at the above times and every 5 minutes after. Simply add a bit more water or broth if needed.
(Pictured above: cooked hulled barley.)
When it is done cooking, the barley will have expanded by 2-3 times in volume and have a nice and soft, chewy texture.
Step 5: Rest. Take the pot off of the heat, keep covered, and let stand for 10 minutes. When the barley is done, you may need to drain some water (pearl barley will absorb more water than hulled). If a lot of water is remaining in the pot, simply drain it off.
Step 6: Fluff and serve. Fluff with a fork, season to taste (if needed) and serve!
How to Cook Barley in Soup
If you want to give more heartiness and texture to your soup, add barley!
For a Creamier Soup
Step 1: Rinse. Begin by rinsing the pearl barley with cool water in a mesh strainer.
Step 2: Add to Soup. Then, cook the barley with all of the soup ingredients, until soft. The pearl barley will release some starches and give the soup a thicker, creamier consistency.
⭐Pro Tip: I like to add about ½ cup dry barley to every 4 cups broth.
For a Lighter Soup
If you prefer a lighter, more clear soup:
Just cook it separately using the above directions, rinse in a mesh strainer and then add it into the soup towards the end of cooking.
Ways to Serve Barley
- If you enjoy whole grains, you can eat a bowl of cooked barley for breakfast or lunch.
- Some people also use barley as a replacement for rice.
- You can serve barley with meat and vegetables, add it to a fresh salad, make a soup or stew (I have a good kimchi stew recipe you might like), cook barley porridge or make a healthy grain bowl.
- Serve it with this roasted white asparagus recipe.
- Barley is great for meal planning in advance. Add a bed of cooked and cooled barley to your container, top it with meat and vegetables or this pea purée and store it in the fridge until you go to work the next day.
- You could even make barley water (the water that is left after cooking barley) if you'd prefer to drink your whole grains.
Recipe FAQs
It is barley that has been germinated in water and then heat-dried to halt the germination process from going any further. Malted barley is used to make beer, whisky, malt vinegar, etc.
Cooked barley has a slightly nutty, mild taste and chewy texture.
Barley is typically found in the baking aisle (near flour) or near other dried grains and legumes like rice, lentils and beans. If you can't find it there, you can try the bulk foods section. You can also find barley in health food stores.
Some of the top places in the world where barley is grown are the EU, Russia, Australia, Ukraine and Canada. In the US, most of the barley is produced in Idaho, Montana and North Dakota.
Barley is not gluten free. It is one of three grains that contain gluten including barley, wheat and rye.
Storage
- Fridge: You can store cooked barley in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: It can be frozen for longer storage, making it easy to add to meals throughout the week.
More Pro Cooking Tutorials to Try
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📋Recipe
How to Cook Barley
Ingredients
- 1 cup pearl barley or hulled barley
- 3 cups water or broth
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Rinse the barley with cool water in a mesh strainer.
- Add the barley, water (or broth) and salt to a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over high heat (keep an eye on it, as it will start to foam up quickly once boiling).
- When the water comes to a boil, turn the heat to low for a gentle simmer and cover.Pearl barley needs to cook for 25 minutes or more and hulled barley needs to cook longer, for 40 minutes or more. Check for doneness and water level at these times and every 5 minutes after. Simply add a bit more water or broth if needed.When it is done cooking, the barley will have expanded by 2 to 3 times in volume and have a nice and soft, chewy texture.
- Take the pot off of the heat, keep covered, and let stand for 10 minutes. When the barley is done, you may need to drain some water (pearl barley will absorb more water than hulled). If a lot of water is remaining in the pot, simply drain it off.
- Fluff with a fork, season to taste (if needed) and serve!
How to Cook Pearl and Hulled Barley in Soup
- If you want a creamier-textured soup: begin by rinsing the pearl barley with cool water in a mesh strainer. Then, cook the barley with all of the soup ingredients, until soft. The pearl barley will release some starches and give the soup a thicker, creamier consistency. I like to add about ½ cup dry barley to every 4 cups broth.
- If you prefer a lighter soup: just cook the barley separately using the above directions, rinse in a mesh strainer and then add it into the soup towards the end of cooking.
Notes
- You can store cooked barley in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- It can be frozen for longer storage, making it easy to add to meals throughout the week.
- Hulled barely has everything but the outer hull, making it the healthier form of barley. It is darker in color in comparison to pearl barley.
- Pearled barley is a form of barley with the husks and shells (the bran) removed through a process called 'pearling'. It's still nutritious and cooks a little faster than hulled barley.
- Pot barley is somewhere in between pearl barley and hulled barley in terms of processing.
- Barley is typically found in the baking aisle (near flour) or near other dried grains and legumes like rice, lentils and beans. If you can't find it there, you can try the bulk foods section. You can also find barley in health food stores.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
M Leybra says
How to make barley water "if you prefer to drink your grains" as stated above?
Joss D says
Barley water is just the cooled liquid that is leftover when you cook barley in water. You can strain the barley out (or leave a little bit in if you like for added health benefits) and drink it as is. You can also add sweetener or lemon juice to make it tastier.