To me, there’s nothing quite so soul-satisfying as a bowl of soup. On a chilly, rainy night (like tonight!), it’s a great way to warm you, body and mind. My grandma used to make a great mushroom barley soup–and that’s saying a lot because she wasn’t a very good cook otherwise. But I remember, as a young girl, hoping that she would serve this when we came for Sunday dinner. For many years I’ve tried to replicate that recipe–I think this version comes pretty damn close.
Made with several types of mushrooms, fresh herbs, soy sauce, sherry, tomato paste, and a few soup bones, there is a lot of complex flavor here. Of course, the best way to start any soup is with homemade stock. It’s not hard to make, just takes a little planning. If you’re willing to make the investment, it really pays off in flavor. Otherwise, you can certainly substitute store-bought chicken stock–just choose a low sodium version so you can control the salt content. If you’d prefer to keep this vegetarian, omit the soup bones and go with vegetable stock instead.
Mushroom Barley Soup
To achieve depth of flavor in this soup, I think it’s important to use a variety of mushrooms. Begin with dried porcini–a 1 ounce package–and rehydrate them by soaking in 1 cup of boiling hot water for 20 minutes.
Besides white button mushrooms, I also like to use cremini (aka baby bella mushrooms) and shiitakes. When you prepare mushrooms, never wash them–they’re like sponges and will just soak up all that moisture. A damp paper towel is all you need to brush off any extra dirt. Trim the stems on 10 ounces each of white and cremini mushrooms, and completely remove the tough stems from a 1/2 pound of shiitakes. I like to thinly slice the cremini and shiitake mushrooms and quarter the buttons, to give some texture to the soup.
Haul out a nice heavy soup pot (my Le Creuset 5 quart dutch oven is perfect for this). Heat it over medium low heat, and add 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter. When the butter is melted, add 2 chopped onions and 6 chopped cloves of garlic. Cook until fragrant, then add 3 peeled, diced carrots, 3 diced celery stalks, and a pinch each of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Saute until the vegetables are translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the sliced and quartered fresh mushrooms, and a fresh sprig of rosemary and thyme to the pot.
Over a fine strainer, separate the rehydrated porcini from its liquid, reserving the liquid. Roughly chop them and add to the other mushrooms. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and raise heat to medium to cook the mushrooms until the liquid they release has mostly evaporated. Add 1/2 cup sherry and cook until alcohol burns off. Nestle 2 to 3 beef soup bones, which have been seasoned with salt and pepper, in among the vegetables.
Add 5 cups each of chicken stock and water and the strained, reserved porcini liquid to the pot. Stir 2 tablespoons tomato paste into the broth, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 1 hour.
When the soup is ready, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed–you may have to add a bit more salt and pepper. Stir in 3 tablespoons of freshly minced dill at the very end, to add brightness to this rich and, oh so, flavorful soup. One of my favorite meals is a bowl of hearty soup, a couple of nice cheeses, some warm and crusty french bread, and, of course, a great glass of red wine. Mmmm…
Serves 4 to 6:
1 ounce package of dried porcini
1 cup boiling water
10 ounces white button mushrooms
10 ounces cremini mushrooms (baby bella)
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 chopped onions
6 chopped cloves of garlic
3 peeled, diced carrots
3 diced celery stalks
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
sprig each of rosemary and thyme
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup sherry
2 to 3 beef soup bones
5 cups chicken stock
5 cups water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons minced dill
Chicken Stock
Let cool slightly, then strain stock, removing all solids. Refrigerate overnight. Skim fat from surface. Stock is now ready to use or freeze–I portion it out in varying sizes: 2 cups, 4 cups, 6 cups, so I’ll always have the amount I need for any recipe.
