Mushroom Barley Soup

Many of you are probably already familiar with the Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen. Mark has been a fan of it's recipes for years, in fact, it may be the reason he fell in love with cooking in the first place, (thank you Mollie!).

You just gotta love mushrooms. With over 38,000 varieties in the world, they are low in fat, sodium and cholesterol and they provide many other nutrients our bodies need. And if you are trying to get more fiber in your diet, barley is an excellent source.

This recipe is so simple yet very hearty and filling and perfect to warm you up on a cool day. We like to make a big heaping pot full on the weekends and eat it all week. Sometimes we vary it up and add carrots and leeks, a nice touch!

Moosewood Mushroom and Barley Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pearl barley, raw

6 1/2 cups stock or water (try making your own veggie stock!)

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons tamari soy sauce

4 tablespoons dry sherry

3 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup onion, chopped

1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced (we used both portebella and cremini)

Fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Cook barley in 1 1/2 cup of the stock or water until tender (cook it right in the soup kettle).

Add remaining stock or water, tamari and sherry.

Sauté onions and garlic in butter. When they soften, add mushrooms and 1/2 tsp salt.

When all is tender add to barley, being sure to include the liquid the vegetables expressed while cooking.

Give it a generous grinding of black pepper and simmer 20 minutes, covered, over the lowest possible heat.

Note: This soup is best served with a nice crusty loaf of bread for dipping!