Ah, autumn. A wonderful time to review one’s soup recipes.
I originally learned how to make mushroom barley soup from Mollie Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook. Here is my current one-pot recipe, which I prepare now by heart without consulting Mollie:
Ingredients
- Mushrooms
- 1 onion
- 1/2 cup barley
- Flavoring: I use a tsp. of miso. You can also use soy sauce and/or 1 tsp. of red wine.
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Water
- Olive oil to cover bottom of pan
Many optional ingredients:
- Root vegetables: chopped carrots, parsnip, and/or turnip
- Garlic clove
- Chopped celery
- Chopped ginger root
- Green leafy vegetables: chopped kale or collards
- Herbs, fresh or dry: dill, oregano, thyme
- Shiitake mushrooms: make the soup all the more healthful and flavorful by using shiitake mushrooms
Preparing the Soup
Saute the chopped onion in a bit of olive oil at the bottom of a large pot. When the onion turns translucent, add the barley. Add more than enough water to cover the barley – about one inch higher in the pot. Cook for about 1/2 hour until the barley is almost tender. Add pepper and salt to taste. Add optional ingredients of carrots, other root vegetables, garlic and celery; add the mushrooms. Pour in one cup more of water. Cook until the vegetables are tender. Add optional kale, dill, other herbs and/or other fast cooking greens. Add soy sauce or miso to give the soup taste. Serve warm.
Coming soon (next week?): a list of soup recipes from around the blogosphere. Also, some suggested soup ingredients. If you have a favorite soup recipe that is on a blog, feel free to leave the link in the comments (thanks to Mrs. S., who last week did just that).
I have the mushrooms. Going to get barley. This looks delish. Thanks.
Glad it looks good. I took about 10 photos of the soup in this bowl and then picked one.
Yum! This soup sounds like it would be just the thing for the wonderfully wet weather we’ve been having.
I have just made soup with Hokkaido pumpkin, I’ll post it if it’s nice.
Sounds delightful!
How can anything with Hokkaido not be nice?? I’m jealous!!
The post is ready. I’ll put it up tomorrow.
Leora,
I love the bowl you chose – such an unusual shape.
There are different kinds of barleys one can use – those in the States can get hulled barley at http://www.simply-natural.biz/Hulled-Barley.php – it’s a hearty barley, more chewy than what is often available at grocery stores. But it does need to be soaked.
I love putting celery in at the end, to give a contrasting texture, a crunch.
Also, barley soup thickens as it sits, so if any left the next day, good to put in some stock or more water and more flavoring (I like soy sauce).
Quite the appetizing photo. I am going to try the recipe, once I get settled.
Sounds yum! I love the miso idea. And I love barley mushroom soup.
I’m coming over for dinner, Leora!
OMG that looks SO good! I just picked up some dried shiitakes, too. I’m making this as soon as I’m well!
i can almost smell it….delish!! i make mollie katzen’s mushroom barley soup too. so good.
i make this one from her also: http://imabima.blogspot.com/2007/10/tasty-tuesday-squash-mushroom-soup.html
and this one (not from her)
http://imabima.blogspot.com/2007/10/spoon-lovebest-shot-monday-veggie.html
and this isn’t soup but it’s mushroom barley soup in casserole form:http://imabima.blogspot.com/2007/10/tasty-tuesday-mushroom-barley-casserole.html
i love love love soup.
I am going to try this..but it will be for me only. Hubby doesn’t like mushrooms… what he is missing.lol
Thanks for participating in the November KCC! Please don’t forget to spread the word and post a link to it in your blog. Happy Thanksgiving!