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!

7 comments:

  1. I can definitely see this on the menu for a cold and rainy night. Thanks for sharing and stopping by my blog:) Happy cooking!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love Moosewood! I visited Ithaca, NY last year and ate lunch there - it was fab :) This soup looks yummy...I'm finally starting to embrace mushrooms for the first time in my life :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mmmm! You literally have me craving this soup now! I'm intrigued with the addition of the soy, that sounds really appealing. Nicely done!

    ReplyDelete
  4. That bowl of soup looks so hearty, I would be tempted to eat it with a fork! What a great meal.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your soup looks amazing. I had thought we were out of soup season where we live, but it's cooled down again so this will make a perfect nosh for a chilly evening, thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  6. The is healthy indeed, good for our bodies.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow this looks great and I love the title of your blog! If only my boyfriend could cook haha :) So glad to be your newest follower!
    http://www.cookskinny.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comments!