Mushroom Barley Soup
This Mushroom Barley Soup is a vegetarian take on the classic Beef Barley Soup. This soup is simply wonderful. I mean, really, really good. There are three kinds of mushrooms here, for layers of deep mushroom flavor. The shitake mushrooms have a wonderful, meaty feel in your mouth, and the barley adds a hearty nuttiness with a little bit of chewy. Perfect recipe to try on this cool snowy weekend!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4
INGREDIENTS:
1 25 gr package dried shitake mushrooms
2 cups hot water
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup oyster mushrooms, stems removed, and sliced.
5 cups vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
2 tsp thyme leaf
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ cup hulled barley, rinsed
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
½ cup baby kale, or spinach, sliced into ribbons
Salt and pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
Soak dried shitake mushrooms in two cups of hot water for 20-30 minutes
Over medium heat oil in a dutch oven or stockpot
Add onion, celery and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes
Add cremini and oyster mushrooms and cook until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes
Stir in vegetable stock, bay leaf, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce
Poring through a strainer, add the soaking water from the dried shitake mushrooms to the pot
Rinse the reconstituted shitakes and add to the pot.
Add barley and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes.
Stir in kale and apple cider vinegar
Season with salt and pepper
Serve hot
