Barley And Wild Mushroom Soup

This hearty Barley and Wild Mushroom Soup combines tender black or pearl barley with an assortment of dried and fresh mushrooms, leeks, carrots, and celery in a rich beef broth enhanced with white wine, tomato paste, and fresh rosemary. Perfect for a nutritious lunch or cozy dinner, this soup is both flavorful and wholesome.

Recipe Information

Total Time:

Yield:

8 servings

Ingredients

1 cup black, hulled or pearl barley

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup white wine

1 cup dried wild mushrooms (i.e., porcini, shiitake, chanterelle)

2 leeks

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 cups fresh sliced button mushrooms (¼-inch thick)

1 cup sliced carrots (¼-inch thick)

1 cup sliced celery (¼-inch thick)

½ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

7 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 sprig fresh rosemary

Directions

Soak black or hulled barley in a medium bowl in 3 cups of water, covered, overnight or at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse. Pearl barley, which has had the bran removed, does not need to be soaked.
Place barley in a steamer with chicken stock and cook 40 minutes. (To cook barley on the stove top, in a medium saucepan bring chicken stock to boiling; add barley, reduce heat and simmer covered, for 40 minutes.) Barley can be covered and stored in refrigerator for up to 4 days.
In a small saucepan, heat wine to a simmer. Add dried mushrooms to saucepan; remove from heat. Let stand for 15 minutes to allow mushrooms to absorb the wine. Remove mushrooms; set aside.
Strain wine through a sieve lined with a coffee filter to remove any grit, reserving wine in a small bowl. If using shiitake mushrooms, cut off tough stems after soaking.
To prepare leeks, rinse well and cut off roots and dark green tops. Slice lengthwise in half and then lengthwise into quarters. Rinse again. Chop into ½-inch pieces.
In a Dutch oven or medium stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic; cook until leeks are tender. Add fresh button mushrooms and cook until softened. Add carrots, celery, thyme, pepper and salt. Stir in cooked barley, soaked dried mushrooms and beef broth. Whisk tomato paste into reserved wine; add to soup. Add the rosemary sprig. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer, uncovered for 25 minutes or until carrots are crisp tender.