Mushroom Barley Soup
 
 
This recipe is from Color Me Vegan, a cookbook I bought over the summer, but I'm just now getting around to using it. I had marked so many of the recipes as ones to try, and I have a couple more this week that I plan to make. I really love this cookbook! The flavor was really outstanding and of course, the truffle oil is the piece de resistance. It's subtle, yet still distinguishable. I would certainly make this again, but I would probably use more barley and use kale instead of carrots---it all depends on what you like. It's a satisfying, tasty soup that's sure to become a staple around here.
Author:
Ingredients
  • 4 C water
  • ¾ C uncooked pearl barley
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 Tbs olive oil
  • 1-1/2 lbs sliced fresh mushrooms (I used a combo of white and cremini)
  • 2 C carrots, chopped
  • 6 C mushroom or veggie broth--or half of each. (I used 2 C portobello mushroom soup and 4 C vegetable broth)
  • 1 Tbs tomato paste
  • 1 Tbs truffle oil
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 3 Tbs fresh parsley, minced
Directions
  1. In a medium sauce pan, bring the water and barley to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes---you only want to partially cook it. Use a fine mesh strainer to drain it. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and cook the onions and celery for about 7 minutes.
  2. Add the mushrooms. That may seem like a lot, but remember, mushrooms always cook down quite a bit. Stirring often, cook the mushrooms for about 5-10 minutes.
  3. Stir in the carrots, tomato paste, broth, and partially cooked barley.
  4. Bring to a boil, them reduce heat, and cover. Let it simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the truffle oil, salt, and pepper.
  5. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Enjoy!
Recipe by Epicurean Vegan at http://epicureanvegan.com/2012/01/11/mushroom-barley-soup/