mushroom barley soup
shared by chela cea
Anaal and I lived together in a little green cottage in Athens, Ohio, while we studied for our Masters in International Affairs (2002-2004). We were both foodies and loved eating each others' recipes. She loved a mushroom barley soup with fresh dill that I made and asked me to make it a number of times. I remember she would use the word "tasty", when no one else I knew used that word to describe food. I can't find the original recipe, but this is the closest one I found to what I remember...
Mushroom Barley Soup Recipe
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter or canola oil (I prefer the flavor butter imparts)
2 cups diced yellow onions
2 cups diced carrots
2 cups diced celery
1 cup chopped leeks (white and light green parts only)
1 pound fresh white button mushrooms, half sliced, and half diced
8 cups chicken broth (low sodium) or chicken stock
1 mushroom bouillion cube, dissolved in 2 cups boiling water
1 cup pearl barley
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill leaves
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped
Directions
In a large soup pot saute the onions, carrots, celery and leeks in the melted butter or oil over medium to medium high heat.
Saute for 10-12 minutes until the vegetables are soft and transparent, but not browned, adjusting heat as necessary.
Slice and add the mushrooms to the vegetables and cook for another 5-8 minutes.
Stir the mushroom bouillon cube into the 2 cups boiling water. Add this with the 8 cups of broth to the soup pot. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.
Add the barley, dill, parsley, salt and pepper. Continue to simmer on low heat, with the pot partially covered, for one hour until the barley is tender.
Check for seasoning. Serve in big bowls with a bit of chopped dill or parsley on top, and a hunk of bread for dunking. It is even better the next day!
Note: The soup will thicken as it sits because the barley tends to absorb the broth. When reheating you may want to adjust the consistency by adding a small amount of water. This soup also freezes well.