I’ve been making variations of this Mushroom Barley Soup for as many years as I can remember. This hearty soup is a meal in itself when served with a loaf of crusty bread. This particular version is made with chicken broth, but vegetarians could substitute a vegetable broth or stock. It’s a simple soup to make, not requiring much time, nor fancy ingredients, but one that I think you will want to add to your repertoire of winter soups.
This is a recipe I’ve developed myself as I tried to duplicate the taste of the mushroom barley soup I remember eating as I grew up. Here it is…
Mushroom Barley Soup
2 tablespoons butter (may substitute canola or vegetable oil, but I like the flavor butter imparts)
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped leeks (white and light green parts only)
1 pound mushrooms, diced
8 cups chicken broth (low sodium) or homemade chicken stock
1 mushroom bouillion cube (such as Telma mushroom soup and seasoning cube)
2 cups boiling water
1 cup pearl barley
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
freshly cracked black pepper to taste
fresh dill, leaves only, chopped
fresh Italian parsley, leaves only, chopped
In a large soup pot saute the onions, carrots, celery, and leeks in the melted butter over medium-medium high heat. Cook for 10- 12 minutes until vegetables are soft and transparent, but not browned.
Clean the mushrooms by wiping them off with a damp paper towel, before dicing them. Add the diced mushrooms to the vegetables and cook another 5-8 minutes.
Stir the mushroom bouillion cube into the 2 cups of boiling water. Add this with the 8 cups of chicken broth to the soup pot. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.
Add 1 cup pearl barley and some fresh chopped dill and parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook on simmer, with the pot partially covered for one hour until the barley is tender.
Note: The soup will thicken as it sits because the barley tends to absorb the broth. When reheating the soup you may want to adjust the consistency by adding some water.
Serve with a little chopped fresh dill or parsley on top.
