Hungarian Vegetable Mushroom Barley Soup
A mushroom lover's delight well-suited for winter.
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Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 Tbsp margarine or butter
- 1 lg onion, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1/4 cup parsley
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 lb total-- 8 oz package of fresh crimini or baby bellas. 8 oz white mushrooms
- 1 Tbsp flour
- 2 qts vegetable or mushroom broth, or water
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup whole barley
- Greek yogurt, plain
Instructions
- Place dried mushrooms in bowl, cover them with water, soak 1/2 hour. Strain and reserve water.
- Coarsely chop the reconstituted mushrooms.
- Melt the margarine or butter in a stockpot and sauté the onion, celery, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, carrot, garlic, and fresh mushrooms until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Lower the heat and add the flour, stirring every 30 seconds for about 5 minutes or until thick.
- In a soup pot, heat the broth or water. Add a cup of mushroom mixture at a time to the pot, stirring.
- Turn the heat to high, and add the reserved mushroom water and barley. Stir well and add salt to taste.
- Simmer, covered, for about an hour or until the barley is tender and the soup is thick, stirring often.
- Add additional chopped parsley, mix thoroughly, and adjust seasonings.
- Garnish with a dollop of Greek yogurt and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.
- Serve.
- Before eating, stir in the yogurt well for a creamy tang.
Notes
Substitutions: No porcinis? Trader Joe,s intermittently offers a small bag of dried wild mushrooms. Use the entire bag. Otherwise, skip the dried mushrooms and add more fresh criminis or baby bellas. And a little fresh cilantro garnish wouldn't hurt.
ATTRIBUTION: Inspired by Joan Nathan and Nina Salter, my childhood friend's mother who introduced me to mushroom barley soup.