Author Notes: I always loved mushroom barley soup as a child but could never find a recipe to duplicate the flavors I remembered. As I grew more proficient as a cook, I began experimenting and found the flavors I remembered in this recipe I created. I hope you enjoy it! – Berna —Berna
Serves: 4 to 6
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There were many mushrooms to chop, and Merrill drew the short straw…
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Amanda started the soup base by rendering some panceta, and then adding the onions, carrots, celery and shallot.
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After the dried porcinis had reconstitued, we squeezed them dry and gave them a rough chop. Fun fact — porcini mushrooms, when dried, have more protein than any other commonly consumed vegetable…
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Initially, the mixture looked dry, but the mushrooms soon gave off liquid.
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Briefly caramelizing tomato paste allowed the flavor to really develop. After, we added the sherry and soy, cooked it down, and added the stocks and the reserved porcini liquid.
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The detritus… and the soup!
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It took only 45 minutes for the barley to cook through, but the flavors really melded after an hour and a half.
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Mushroom Barley Soup
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms soaked until soft in 1/2 cup hot water (reserve water after soaking)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 ounces pancetta, chopped
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms, chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/4 cup dry sherry
- 1/2 cup pearl barley
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
Instructions
In a heavy stock pot add olive oil and saute pancetta until lightly browned.
Add onions, carrots, celery and shallot and saute until soft (about 10 minutes).
Add garlic and mushrooms and saute until mushrooms release some of their moisture.
Remove the rehydrated porcini from the liquid (reserving liquid), chop, and then add to the vegetables in the pot along with the barley and mix to combine.
Make a little space at the bottom of the pan and add the tomato paste, cooking for a minute or two to caramelize.
Add the soy sauce and sherry and simmer vigorously until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. Then add the stocks and the reserved liquid from the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.
Simmer soup, covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until barley is soft. Add chopped parsley just before serving.
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