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.
Pictured above: Cooked pearl barley on the left, hulled barley on the right.
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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.
Conversely, 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. If you're in a pinch, you might want to use pearl barley in your recipe so you can cook the barley as soon as possible. Otherwise, you might want to use hulled barley 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
- 1 cup pearl barley or hulled barley
- 3 cups water or broth
- 1 pinch salt
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).
Step 4: Cook
Pictured above: cooked pearl barley.
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. Check for doneness and water level at these 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
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
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.
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.
Serving Suggestions
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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
You can store cooked barley in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
What dish did you make with your new barley-cooking skills? Did you enjoy this tutorial on how to cook barley? Let me know in the comments and please share the recipe!
📋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.
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.