Mushroom Barley Soup

Several years ago I got an especially strong craving for mushroom barley soup. I wanted a savory, hearty soup that was complex and delicious. I found a recipe in the Moosewood Restaurant Cookbook that was just about perfect, and with a few small tweaks this soup became my absolute favorite. My craving was satisfied and I have made this soup every fall since. It also freezes well, so plan to stock your freezer for the upcoming winter months.

Starting with dried mushrooms is an extra step, but absolutely essential to the rich flavor.

Mushroom Barley Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dried mushrooms (I like a forest mix with shiitake, oyster, and porcini)
6 cups water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 stalks celery, diced small
1 tbsp celery leaves, minced
2 carrots, diced small
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cooking wine (dry sherry)
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup pearl barley

Directions:

Cover the dried mushrooms with 6 cups of water, and bring to a slow boil over medium-low heat. Simmer the mushrooms for 15 minutes and then set them aside to cool. When they have cooled, strain the mushrooms to collect the broth. Remove any tough stems and chop the dried mushrooms. Add enough water to the broth to equal 8 cups of liquid.

In a large soup saucepan heat the oil over low heat. Then add the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions have softened. Then add the minced garlic, and stir to combine. Let the garlic heat through for about a minute more, then add the celery, celery leaves, and carrots and let those cook for about 5 minutes more. Add the mushrooms next, and sprinkle them with the salt, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook the mushrooms, while stirring, until they release their juices. This takes about 3-5 minutes.

Add the chopped dried mushrooms, soy sauce, wine, thyme, parsley, and black pepper. Stir to combine and let the wine cook down a bit. After 2 minutes, add the broth and the barley. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and let the soup simmer for 45 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning to add more salt and pepper if necessary. You may want to add some more water as well, as this is a brothy soup so if it has thickened too much you will want to thin it out.

This soup  is really good with fresh baked bread and a light salad.

Enjoy!

For 8 servings. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 287 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 115 Calories from Fat 18

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 2.0g 3%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 547mg 23%

Potassium 279mg 8%

Total Carbohydrates 20.3g 7%

Dietary Fiber 4.2g 17%

Sugars 2.6g

Protein 3.8g

Vitamin A 52% • Vitamin C 9% Calcium 2% • Iron 10%

Nutrition Grade A-

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet