Mushroom Barley Soup
It is that time of year when the leaves are falling along with the temperatures, and our cravings beckon for cozy fare to devour. A warm soup always seems to fit the bill when I get the hankering, and this mushroom potage with pearled barley is a wonderful solution to my cool weather dilemma.
For this particular soup version I used Organic Pearled Barley by Arrowhead Mills. Pearled barley has had its hard outer layer removed, thus opening up a chewy, delicately flavored grain that is quite versatile, I have used it in other recipes as well, such as Chicken Barley Bake, and Wild Mushroom Barley Soup. Pearled barley can also be used in a tasty pilaf, in a pudding, or even as a breakfast cereals mix, you can benefit from this highly nutritious grain in many ways. According to the package nutrition facts, one-quarter cup of pearled barley has 8 grams of fiber, 160 calories, 5 grams protein, and only 1 gram of fat.
| Ingredients | ||
| 1 | Tbsp. | Butter |
| 1 | Lg. | Onion, diced (2 cups) |
| 10 | Cloves | Garlic, minced |
| 1 | Lb. | Mushrooms, sliced |
| 1 | Tbsp. | Lemon juice |
| 1 | Tsp. | Italian seasoning |
| 1 | Tsp. | Thyme |
| 1 | Tsp. | Basil |
| 1 | Tsp. | Onion powder |
| 1 | Tsp. | Garlic powder |
| 3 | Each | Bay leaves |
| 6 | Cups | Beef stock |
| ¾ | Cup | Pearled barley |
| 2 | Cups | Carrots, diced |
| To taste | Sea salt and white pepper | |
| Procedure Steps: | |
| 1. | Melt butter in a large stock pot then sauté the onion and garlic until soft and translucent. |
| 2. | Add the mushrooms and lemon juice and toss well, simmer until mushrooms are soft. |
| 3. | Add the herbs, seasonings, and bay leaves, and stir well, continue to simmer a minute or so. |
| 4. | Add the beef stock, pearled barley, and carrots, and then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and then simmer on low heat for 1 hour, or until barley is cooked through and soft. |
| 5. | Season with sea salt and white pepper to taste. |
To Serve: Ladle eight ounce portion into soup bowl and serve immediately.
Yield: 8 1-cup servings
Bon appetite!
CCR
=:~)
©2010 CCR
22 responses so far ↓
1 Kristin King - Norfolk Cooking Examiner // Oct 25, 2010 at 2:15 pm
That sounds so good – and I can eat it on my diet! Saving this one 🙂
2 Emily @Cleanliness // Oct 25, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Yum! Sounds perfect! Love the combination of flavors 🙂
3 redkathy // Oct 25, 2010 at 3:36 pm
Hey Chef this sounds delish! Just bought my very first portion of pearled barley the other day. Perhaps this one will be my first barley recipe attempt. That is if I can get the guys to agree, they are such carnivores! I’ll be checking out your chicken barley bake as a back up 🙂
4 Boudreaux Ryan // Oct 25, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Hi Kathy,
You can always add some cubed meat, such as chicken breast or beef to the mushroom barley soup at the same time you add the beef stock, making it a Chicken / Beef and Mushroom Barley soup.
Regards,
Ryan
5 pegasuslegend // Oct 25, 2010 at 6:04 pm
Very nice picture, love how it so inviting. Mushroom and barley to warm me up with this little chill in the Florida air just in time!
6 Mags@theOtherSideof50 // Oct 25, 2010 at 6:50 pm
LOVE barley soup. This looks like a fantastic recipe.
7 redkathy // Oct 25, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Thanks for the idea Ryan, I might just try adding some beef!
8 Cookin' Canuck // Oct 25, 2010 at 8:14 pm
To me, this is the ultimate comfort dish. Wonderful version with a great dose of garlic.
9 penny aka jeroxie // Oct 26, 2010 at 2:02 am
Clever! Shall use barley next time too.
10 Sara // Oct 26, 2010 at 2:03 am
Great recipe, and I love your header picture.
11 Anna Johnston // Oct 26, 2010 at 9:09 am
Aaahhh, that sounds great chef, I like your suggestion to add some chicken meat to the barley soup, great idea…., I’m almost feeling a little whimsical reading your Autumn cozying up recipes…, we’re seeing some marvellous summer fruits & vegs hitting the shelves down under…., love all the comfort foods of the cooler months…, but hey…. summers great too.
12 Boudreaux Ryan // Oct 26, 2010 at 9:19 am
Anna,
You are so right, it is a challenge to write in a global sense with summer happening on your side of the world, and we are getting closer to winter here in the states.
Bon appétit!
CCR
=:~)
13 5 Star Foodie // Oct 26, 2010 at 9:40 am
Sounds like such a nutritious and comforting soup!
14 fooddreamer // Oct 26, 2010 at 9:52 am
I love mushroom barley soup, and this looks like a fantastic recipe!
15 Boudreaux Ryan // Oct 26, 2010 at 9:52 am
Hey Natasha,
It is all that, and tasty too! There is something about barley that just has this earthy tone and when melded with the stock takes on an amazing flavor.
Bon appétit!
Ryan
=:~)
16 Lori Lynn // Oct 26, 2010 at 9:57 pm
CCR – that photo is fabulous! ARTSY!
LL
17 cedar chests // Oct 26, 2010 at 11:10 pm
It is really soup season, I guess. I have been seeing a lot of them nowadays. This one looks delicious.
18 averagebetty // Oct 28, 2010 at 7:00 pm
I’ve never made barley – it’s one of the grains on my to-do list 🙂 This looks like a perfect recipe to try! Thanks, Chef Ryan!
19 Sprinkles of Parsley // Oct 29, 2010 at 12:09 pm
I’m a lover of all kinds of soups… this one definitely caught my eye because of the nutritional value of your ingredients… mushrooms and barley- yum!! Soups are so delicious!
20 Boudreaux Ryan // Oct 29, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Lori Lynn, thank you so much!
Betty, Indeed, you must add barley to your shopping list, it is an amazing grain.
Sprinkles, yes, high in fiber and flavor too!
21 Winelady Cooks // Oct 30, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Mushroom barley soup is one of my favorite soups. I too make it when I’m looking for something warm and comforting.
22 zerrin // Nov 6, 2010 at 6:56 am
I love mushroom soup and yours sound so warming, perfect for winter.