Varieties

Hulled barley is tan-brown with visible bran; pearled barley is ivory-white and polished smooth.

Placing both grain types together in one natural arrangement lets readers distinguish them by color and texture before buying or cooking.

Grains & Rice

Barley

Chewy, nutty grain for soups, stews, and grain bowls

Plump and chewy with a nutty flavor, barley thickens soups and stews and stands up in a hearty grain salad. Pearled cooks faster than hulled. Store airtight.

Barley is one of humanity's oldest cultivated grains — a chewy, nutty, faintly sweet cereal that quietly does some of the kitchen's best work. Its starchy grains release soluble fiber (beta-glucan) as they simmer, which is why barley naturally thickens and enriches soups and stews into something silky and substantial. The form you usually buy is pearled, with the bran polished off so it cooks in well under an hour; hulled (or 'pot') barley keeps its bran for more fiber but takes much longer. Either way it's a budget-friendly, satisfying grain that holds its bite beautifully in a grain salad, drinks up the flavor of a braise, and turns a thin broth into a hearty bowl. Note for the gluten-sensitive: barley contains gluten.

Measured in: g
Storage: Airtight

Allergens

Gluten

Find it in

Pasta Grains

Types & varieties

Pearled barley

Bran polished off — the common, quick-cooking type for soups and salads.

Hulled (pot) barley

Only the inedible hull removed; whole-grain, chewier, more fiber, longer cook.

Quick / flaked barley

Pre-steamed and rolled for fast porridge and baking.

How to cook

Barley is most reliable boiled in plenty of salted water like pasta, then drained — this gives even, separate grains for salads. For soups, simmer it right in the broth so its starch thickens the pot.

Salad method: boil pearled in abundant salted water 25–30 min, drain
Soup method: add directly to broth; it'll soak up liquid, so add more stock
Hulled barley: soak overnight, then simmer 50–60 min
Rest a few minutes before fluffing or dressing

How to store

Pearled barley is shelf-stable for about a year. Hulled barley, with its oilier bran, turns faster — buy it in smaller amounts or refrigerate.

Airtight container, cool, dark pantry
Hulled: refrigerate or freeze for longer life
Cooked: refrigerate ≤5 days, freezes well

Common uses

Beef and barley soupMushroom barley risotto (orzotto)Hearty grain saladsA chewy stand-in for rice in bowlsVegetable and bean stewsBreakfast porridgeStuffed vegetablesBulking out winter braises

Tips & pitfalls

Add barley to soups expecting it to swell — keep extra stock on hand or it'll drink the bowl dry.
Boil like pasta and drain for the cleanest, most separate grains in salads.
Toast the dry grains in a little oil before adding liquid for a deeper, nuttier flavor.
Cook a big batch — it reheats and freezes well and stays chewy.
Swap it into a risotto-style 'orzotto' for a heartier, nuttier spin.

Nutrition

352kcal

Energy

1473 kJ · per 100 g

Where the calories come from

Protein 11%Carbs 86%Fat 3%

Protein

9.9g

20% DV

Carbs

77.7g

28% DV

Fat

1.2g

1% DV

Fiber

15.6g

56% DV

Sugars

0.8g

of which

Sodium

9mg

0% DV

Notable micronutrients

Selenium69% DV

Niacin (B3)29% DV

Magnesium19% DV

Zinc19% DV

Phosphorus18% DV

Thiamin (B1)16% DV

Source · USDA FoodData Central · Barley, pearled, raw

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In the shops

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Good to know

Flavor & texture: Nutty, mildly sweet; plump and pleasantly chewy
Cook ratio & time: Pearled: 1 part : 3 parts water, simmer 25–30 min; hulled: 50–60 min
Soak?: Pearled needs none; hulled benefits from an overnight soak
Nutrition: ~123 kcal/100g cooked; ~2.3g protein, ~3.8g fiber (rich in beta-glucan)
How to store: Airtight and dry; pearled keeps ~1 year, hulled (oilier bran) less

Substitutes