This traditional German barley soup recipe with smoky sausage is the perfect comfort food for chilly winter nights. Trust me, one spoonful of this vegetable-loaded Graupensuppe, and you'll be transported to the cozy taverns of Bavaria.
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 make soups every week!
If you've never cooked with barley, this is barley sausage soup recipe is one to make! My Dutch oven chicken barley soup, also packed with vegetables, is a runner-up.
📃 Why it Works
- This barley soup with kielbasa and vegetables is soothing to the soul on cloudy days and a fantastic after-work recipe.
- Graupensuppe (also called Gerstensuppe) is a must-have menu item for Oktoberfest and perfect for dishing up on the game day - it helps absorb large amounts of beer.
- It's quick and easy to make and has flavor and texture in every spoonful.
- It tastes even better the next day - perfect for meal planning!
- You make it in just one pot, so cleaning up takes little effort.
- It is hearty, filling, healthy, and always a real feast.
- This comforting dish is the perfect solution for busy weeknights and is picky eaters-approved.
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, and 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 complete meal.
🛒 Ingredients and Notes
- Sausage: Any smoked sausage is suitable for this recipe. I used Polish kielbasa that comes in varieties of meats - beef, pork, chicken, or a combination. You could also use Andouille sausage that packs some heat. Authentic German barley soup recipe typically doesn't use Italian sausage, but go for it if you wish.
- Barley: Barley is low in gluten but is not gluten-free. If you or someone in your family has celiac disease, substitute with buckwheat. It's better than rice as it provides a similar chewy texture and nutrients. Use quick barley for a quick meal (*refer to FAQs section below).
- Veggies: onion, potato, leeks, carrots, and celery (either stalk or root).
- Herbs and spices: oregano, smoked paprika (you can use regular sweet or hot paprika instead), nutmeg, bay leaf, and S&P.
- Liquid: Chicken broth. Sub with vegetable broth or water with the addition of Vegeta (about 2 tablespoons).
🔪 Step by Step Instructions
- Cook the bacon in butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Lower the heat to medium, add the onions and sliced sausage, and cook until the onions are translucent and the sausage is browned.
- Add the leeks, carrots, celery, and potatoes; sauté for about 2 minutes.
- Season with salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, and nutmeg. Add the broth, barley, and bay leaf and bring to a boil; lower the heat and cook for 20-30 minutes or until barley and potatoes are cooked.
👩🍳 Helpful 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."
- Add the barley towards the end of the cooking time to prevent it from becoming mushy.
- Add a splash of Maggy, a must-have seasoning liquid for soups and stews.
- Make it in advance! This sausage barley soup is more delicious the next day, like all soups and stews allowed to steep overnight.
- Garnish with fresh herbs, such as parsley or thyme, for a pop of color and flavor.
👉 Variations
- Many recipes for classic barley soup also include other vegetables, like kohlrabi, turnips, or cauliflower, to replace potatoes.
- You can add leafy greens such as spinach or kale.
- Add frozen or fresh peas, beans, or green beans to make a vegetarian barley soup version. You can add whatever you like or have available in the season since barley has an earthy taste perfect for fresher produce!
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
- For an authentic German experience, serve this sausage barley dish with black or rye bread or German pretzel rolls. However, it goes well with any artisan-style bread or with a side of salad greens.
🍴 Equipment Needed
Tools are an essential part of cooking. Without them, the process becomes much more complex and time-consuming! So here is a list of my favorite things to use when making this recipe.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make it in your pressure cooker and a slow cooker too!
Instant Pot: Brown the bacon, sausage, and onions on the "sauté" setting of your IP. Add all the other ingredients, close the lid, and cook for 15 minutes on a "soup/stew" setting.
Slow cooker - Brown the meats and onions in a skillet. Transfer to the slow cooker/crockpot and add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until thoroughly cooked.
Both are equally nutritious. Pearl barley takes almost na hour to cook, while quick barley is pre-steamed and needs only 10-15 minutes. Hulled barley takes about 20-30 minutes longer to cook than pearl but is the healthiest kind of barley.
Yes, swap chicken broth with vegetable broth and use vegan kielbasa from your local Whole Foods or other health stores. You can also order tofurky online, but it comes as a 4-pack.
The type of sausage traditionally used in German Graupensuppe is a smoked sausage, such as kielbasa or wurst. The smoky flavor of the sausage adds depth and richness to the soup, making it a classic comfort food in Germany.
More Barley Recipes To Try
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📖 Recipe
German Barley Sausage Soup (Graupensuppe)
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
- ½ cup quick barley
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ 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.
Video
Notes
- 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."
- Add the barley towards the end of the cooking time to prevent it from becoming mushy.
- Add a splash of Maggy, a must-have seasoning liquid for soups and stews.
- Make it in advance! This sausage barley soup is more delicious the next day, like all soups and stews allowed to steep overnight.
- Garnish with fresh herbs, such as parsley or thyme, for a pop of color and flavor.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Zoe Morris says
Both my husband & I loved the soup! Thanks Jaz!
Jas says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks, Zoe! 🙂
Leslie says
This looks yummy, but the recipe doesn't say when to add the barley.
Jas says
Oops, thanks so much for catching that. You add it with the broth, I've fixed the recipe to reflect it. 🙂