Mushroom Barley Soup

Mushroom Barley Soup

I love mushrooms! I think it's a Lithuanian thing. Grybai in Lithuanian. I remember going mushroom picking with my grandmother in Long Island when I was little. I was too young to remember what to look for or what to pick, but I could never forget the smell and the sweet savory taste of the wild mushrooms Grandma prepared.

Then there was the soup! Mushroom barley soup with dried mushrooms is especially wonderful. Our friend Diane made some last week. She sent a little for a taste. It was amazing close to what I remembered from my childhood. I needed more so I had to make some for myself. Diane's recipe calls for making it in a crockpot and cooking it all day long. That's not my style. Also, my daughter Lindy, is vegetarian, so I want to try something meatless. She loves mushrooms too! So here's my modified version.

[Click here to enlarge photo]

Ingredients:

1 cup pearl barley
2 tbs olive oil
1 10 oz package of fresh Crimini mushrooms - sliced thin
1 cup dried mushrooms
2 carrots diced 1/4 in
2 celery stalks diced 1/4 in
1 medium onion diced 1/4 in
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tbs tomato paste
Italian parsley for garnish

How to do it:

Bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a medium sauce pan.Add 1 cup of barley. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 45 minutes until the barley is tender but still firm.

Meanwhile in a large bowl add the dried mushrooms and add at least 2 cups of boiling water. Let the dried mushrooms soak for about an hour. I used dried shitake mushrooms this time but I think that in the future I'll try some wild mushrooms. (available on Amazon.com) Make sure to reserve the liquid for the soup stock.

While the barley is cooking and the mushrooms are soaking dice the onion, carrots and celery.

When the dried mushrooms have softened, slice the caps into 1/4 in strips and discard the tough stems.

In a large stockpot add the oil and the onions, carrots and celery. Cook on medium heat until the onions soften.

Add the dried and fresh mushrooms. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients. Don't forget the liquid that you used to soak the mushrooms in. Bring to a boil, Reduce the heat and simmer for another 5 minutes to let the flavors blend.

Plate it up! Add a little parsley for garnish. Serve and enjoy!

This recipe should serve 8 for a pre-meal portion, or 4 for a full meal. Sheila and I enjoyed this as a main entree for 2 nights.

Thanks to @majes.tytyty for the Enlarge Image function.

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Enjoy!

Roger