Mushroom Barley Soup

28 Tuesday Dec 2010

Written by tracy in Soups

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I thought Martha Stewart had led me astray. I had put my faith in her version of Mushroom Barley Soup, but the smell of the dried mushrooms re-hydrating on the counter made our entire kitchen smell gross. Even as I cooked the mushrooms on the stove, I had concerns about what this soup would end up tasting like. I have a love-hate relationship with mushrooms – sometimes they remind me too much of the texture of meat, and sometimes they taste wonderful. It’s unpredictable. I feared this soup was destined for the garbage disposal.

But Martha didn’t let me down. After adding the tasty barley, sour cream mixture, and delicious smelling fresh dill, this soup lost all of its fungi-related weirdness. It became downright delicious, and quite filling, too. In Martha I trust.

We’ve nearly reached the end of the soups, which is good because I’ve also reached the end of my stockpile of veggie broth :) I’ve got a yummy recipe saved up for the Year of the Soup “finale” – coming soon!

Mushroom Barley Soup

2 ounces dried mushrooms, such as Polish borowik or porcini
2 cups warm water
6 ounces pearl barley, washed
10 cups vegetable broth
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup sour cream (optional)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (optional)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill

Directions

Place the mushrooms in a small bowl. Add water and let soak overnight. Transfer mushrooms and soaking liquid to a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mushrooms are tender, about 40 minutes. Drain mushrooms, reserving soaking liquid. Coarsely chop mushrooms; set aside
Add barley to a small saucepan with 3 cups stock. Bring to a boil and let simmer until the barley is tender, about 45 minutes. Stir in butter; set aside.
In a medium saucepan, bring the remaining 7 cups stock to a boil with the carrots, celery, and reserved mushrooms and soaking liquid. Stir in the cooked barley mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream and the flour. While stirring, slowly add 1 cup of the stock. Stir into soup with dill. Serve immediately.