Top | Vegan

Wild Mushroom and Barley Soup

(recipe, Carrie Stewart)

Ingredients

1. ½ oz. dried mushrooms (I used shiitake – about 5)
2. ½ cup sherry
3. 1 Tbsp. olive oil
4. ½ cup chopped shallots
5. 2 cloves of garlic
6. 8 oz. fresh cremini mushrooms
7. 1 tsp. minced fresh thyme, or ½ tsp dried
8. 3 cups vegetable broth
9. ¾ cup pearl barley
10. 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
11. 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Steps

1. 1. Rinse dried mushrooms well to remove any dirt. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in the microwave or a kettle, and soak mushrooms in the water for at least 15 minutes, Drain mushrooms, reserving the liquid and finely chop.
2. 2. Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until shallots are wilted, 3-5 minutes. Add cremini mushrooms, thyme, ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp of pepper. Cook until the creminis release their juices and begin to brown, 4-5 minutes. Add sherry to deglaze the pan and boil, scraping up any browned bits from pan bottom, for 1 minute.
3. 3. Add broth, barley, tomato paste, 3 cups water and chopped dried mushrooms to the pot. Cover and simmer until barley is tender, 45-50 minutes.
4. 4. In a blender or food processor, puree about 1 cup of soup until smooth. Return soup to pot, heat until just hot and stir in lemon juice. Season soup to taste with additional salt and pepper.