Warm up with a bowl of rich, hearty Mushroom Barley Soup! This delicious soup is a classic for a reason ... it's easy to make, full of wonderful cozy flavors, and it's the perfect treat on a cold fall or winter day!
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Fall is here, which means it's officially soup weather ... I for one couldn't be happier! There's is just something so comforting about a big bowl of steaming hot soup, you know?
And when it comes to comfort food classics, this Mushroom Barley Soup tops my list! This wonderful brothy soup is simple, yet full of rich, deep flavors, and hearty, yet super healthy. Most important of all though, it's delightfully delicious!
This yummy Barley Soup is a classic for a reason. The recipe uses basic, healthy ingredients, yet it's full of well-developed flavors. And the barley makes this nourishing soup super hearty, perfect for cold fall and winter days when you crave meals that stick to your ribs.
It's also perfect for mushroom lovers! My recipe uses two kinds of mushrooms, and their wonderful, earthy flavor permeates the soup. With its amazing taste, would you be surprised to learn that this soup is meat free? Yup, it's vegetarian and vegan.
You're going to want to enjoy this soup all fall and winter long, so let's jump in!
Ingredients
This tasty recipe is made with simple, healthy ingredients you'll find in most grocery stores! Here's what you'll need:
- Mushrooms - This recipe uses two types of mushrooms: dried porcini* and fresh mushrooms. I used regular button mushrooms for the fresh, but feel free to use brown mushrooms, wild mushrooms, or a mix of your favorites. My grocery store carries porcini mushrooms in the produce section, but you can also purchase them online.
- Barley - Make sure to use pearl barley for this recipe, not quick-cooking barley (or any other variety). If you use quick-cooking barley, it will finish cooking before the veggies are tender, and the consistency and texture of your soup will be off.
- Other Veggies - Besides the mushrooms, you'll use a combination of onions, carrots, and celery, plus garlic. These vegetables form the base of the soup, adding lots of flavor.
- Herbs - This recipe is made with a combination of dried thyme, bay leaves, and fresh parsley.
- Broth - Of course, you'll need some broth. I like to use vegetable bouillon to make my broth. It's super convenient, tastes great (often better than the stuff in cartons), and that way, I always have some on hand.
- Olive Oil - You'll use extra virgin olive oil to sauté the veggies.
This recipe is naturally vegetarian, vegan, and dairy free.
*Tip: This recipe's secret ingredients is the dried porcini mushrooms! These mushrooms are prized for their deep, earthy taste. You'll use both the reconstituted mushrooms and their soaking liquid ... don't skip them, because they add tons of flavor. If you cannot find dried porcini, I suggest substituting dried shiitake mushrooms instead.
You'll Also Need
Besides these ingredients, you'll need a couple kitchen tools. A fine mesh strainer is a must. Dried mushrooms are often gritty, and you'll use the strainer to rinse the mushrooms, and to strain the mushroom soaking liquid. And of course, you'll need a large soup pot. I used my favorite dutch oven ... it's perfect for everything from soups to pasta!
How to Make Mushroom Barley Soup
This delicious Barley Soup is easy to make! You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's an overview of the steps:
- Soak dried mushrooms. You'll start by rinsing the dried porcini, then soaking them in boiling water. After they've softened, remove the mushrooms from the liquid (which you'll save), then rinse them again and chop them. Next, strain the mushroom soaking liquid through a fine mesh strainer set over a small bowl. Then set aside the mushrooms and the strained liquid for later.
- Sauté veggies. While the porcini are soaking, you'll start preparing the soup. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot, then add the onions, carrots, and celery. Season with a little salt, then cook the vegetables just until the onions start to turn translucent.
- Add mushrooms. Crank up the heat to medium-high, then add the fresh mushrooms to the pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until any liquid the mushrooms release has completely evaporated. Tip: For extra flavor, continue cooking the mushrooms until they've browned. As the mushrooms caramelize, they'll become even richer tasting.
- Stir in the garlic and thyme. Next, you'll add the garlic and thyme. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, just until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add remaining ingredients + cook soup. Stir in the broth, pearl barley, bay leaves, and the reserved porcini mushrooms and mushroom soaking liquid. Simmer the soup until the barley is tender, but still chewy (about 30 to 40 minutes). Stir in the fresh parsley, then season the soup to taste with salt and fresh cracked pepper.
Don't this Mushroom Barley Soup look delicious? That deep, rich broth is heavenly ... I could dive into a bowl right now. It's total comfort food and the perfect soup for cold fall and winter days. And the best part is that it's super healthy for you, too! I like to make a batch of this soup on Sunday, then enjoy it all week long.
Storage
Storage any leftover soup in an airtight container in your refrigerator, where it will stay fresh for four days. You may also freeze the soup for up to three months. The soup thickens as it cools, so you may need to add some extra vegetable broth to thin it out when reheating.
Serving Suggestions
This classic Barley Mushroom Soup recipe is satisfying enough to serve on its own. If you'd like to round out the meal though, serve it with a salad, like this Quick Chopped Salad, this Kale Caesar Salad, or a Simple Green Salad. It would also be delicious with thick slices of chewy bread for dipping, Beer Bread, or Homemade Garlic Bread.
You could also pair it with a sandwich, like my Spinach and Artichoke Grilled Cheese, Deviled Egg Salad Sandwiches, or this easy Tomato Avocado Sandwich.
Related Recipes
Are you looking for more soup recipes? Then, you'll love these:
- Vegetable Barley Soup - A veggie loaded version of this recipe!
- Creamy Rosemary Potato Soup
- Tomato Soup with Garlic Croutons
- Easy Lentil Soup
- Creamy Wild Rice Soup
- Minestrone Soup
- Vegetable Stew with Dumplings
- Broccoli Stalk Soup
Mushroom Barley Soup
Ingredients
- 1 ounce (28 grams) dried porcini mushrooms (or other dried mushrooms)
- 1 ½ cups boiling water
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 2 large carrots, sliced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 large stalk celery, sliced (about ¾ cup)
- 1 pound (454 grams) mushrooms, sliced
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 12 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 2 bay leaves
- ⅓ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- kosher salt
- pepper
Equipment
- Dutch Oven (or large soup pot)
Instructions
- Rinse porcini mushrooms with water, then place in a small, heatproof bowl. Cover with 1 ½ cups boiling water.
- When mushrooms have softened, remove them from the bowl, squeezing any liquid that clings to them back into the bowl (save this soaking liquid). Rinse mushrooms well to remove any grit. Squeeze water out of mushrooms (discarding it), then roughly chop the mushrooms.
- Place fine mesh strainer over over a small bowl. Pour mushroom soaking liquid through strainer. Set liquid and mushrooms aside until ready to use.
- While mushrooms are soaking, heat olive oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat.
- When oil is hot, add onions, carrots, and celery. Season with salt, then saute until onions start to turn translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Turn heat up to medium-high, then add mushrooms. Saute, stirring often, until mushrooms are tender and any liquid they release has evaporated (about 10 minutes).
- Stir in garlic and thyme, and season veggies with more salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Add broth, barley, bay leaves, reserved porcini mushrooms, and mushroom soaking liquid to pot. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Cook soup uncovered until barley is tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Stir in parsley, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve soup hot. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
