I was on a college road trip when I had my first taste of Mushroom Barley Soup. My friends and I stopped at a roadside deli—I wish I could remember the name of the place. What I do remember is that piping hot bowl of delicious soup. It was love at first bite.
You can find this soup on most Jewish deli menus. The dish has roots in the Ashkenazi Jewish communities of Eastern Europe. Mushrooms were popular in these cold-weather countries because they could be harvested, dried, and stored for later use. In my friend Etti Hadar’s family memoir, her Polish uncle Dov Levin talks about how his mother used to string up rows of mushrooms with a thread and needle in the attic. They would hang the mushrooms near the chimney; the heat of the stove would dry them out faster that way.
Barley was also plentiful and easy to grow in the Eastern European climate, making it a common addition to hearty winter dishes like soup and cholent. Barley’s history goes back even further; in fact, it is arguably the world’s first and most ancient cultivated grain. It is also one of the Seven Species mentioned in the Bible.
Ever since that fateful college road trip, I’ve worked on creating my own soup recipe to achieve what I consider the perfect balance of mushroom barley flavor. I’ve stuck to simple, natural ingredients. Inspired by Uncle Dov’s memoir, I added dried mushrooms with their soaking liquid to the broth, along with fresh mushrooms seared golden brown. The combination adds complex flavor to an otherwise simple soup. A long, slow simmer reduces the broth, making the soup thick and rich.
This robust, filling soup makes a hearty lunch or dinner on a chilly autumn day. Despite being “comfort food,” it is surprisingly healthy. Barley is rich in dietary fiber and selenium. The grain also contains beta glucan, a complex sugar that can help to lower cholesterol. Enjoy!
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Mushroom Barley Soup
Ingredients
- 3 quarts chicken or mushroom stock (low sodium okay)
- 1 1/4 cups pearl barley
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 dried shitake mushrooms
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 cup chopped celery, including leaves
- 1 cup peeled and chopped carrots
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 pound white mushrooms, scrubbed and sliced
- Salt and pepper
NOTES
Instructions
- Pour chicken or mushroom stock into a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Stir in the barley, add the bay leaves, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered. Set your timer for 2:15 (2 hours 15 minutes) starting now.
- While the soup simmers, place dried mushrooms in a separate small saucepan. Add 3 cups of water to the saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water boils, remove saucepan from heat and let the mushrooms soak for 20 minutes.
- Drain the mushroom water by straining it through a coffee filter (use a mesh strainer or colander to hold the filter). Reserve the mushroom water.
- Chop the soaked, softened mushrooms into small pieces and reserve.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion to the skillet and sauté till softened.
- Add the celery and carrots and sauté for 5 more minutes till everything is browning and starting to caramelize.
- Add the soaked chopped dried mushroom pieces and crushed garlic, sauté for 2 more minutes. Your kitchen should smell really good right about now!
- Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Pour the strained mushroom broth into the skillet, bring to a boil, stir. Cook for 2 more minutes till mixture is hot and bubbly. Add the contents of the skillet to the simmering stockpot with the broth and barley.
- Without rinsing the skillet, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat, tilting to coat the bottom of the pan. Spread half of the sliced white mushrooms in a single layer at the bottom of the skillet. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and turn heat to high. Let the mushrooms sear without stirring.
- After 2 minutes, stir the mushrooms continuously for another 1-2 minutes until they are seared golden brown and shrink to about half their size.
- Pour the seared mushrooms into the soup pot. Heat the last 1 tbsp olive oil in the skillet and repeat the process for the remaining mushrooms. Add the rest of the seared mushrooms to the soup pot, stir to blend all ingredients.
- Reduce heat to a low simmer. Let the soup cook uncovered until your timer goes off (2 hours 15 minutes total cooking time), or until the barley is completely tender and the soup is nicely thickened. Add water during the simmer if the soup becomes overly thick. At the end of cooking, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
Other Great Recipe Ideas
In Erika’s Kitchen: Winter Greens Soup with Mushrooms
The Pioneer Woman: French Onion Soup Stuffed Mushrooms
Simply Recipes: Mushroom Risotto
Kalyn’s Kitchen: Chicken Barley Soup
Weelicious: Barley, Chicken and Broccoli Salad
Can you make this without the dried Shitake mushrooms?
Yes, but you should substitute three additional cups of liquid – perhaps mushroom broth – and if the broth is salty, cut down on the added salt in the recipe to compensate. The soaked dried mushrooms add a lot of flavor here, so don’t substitute water… you will need something with umami to compensate.
Nutritional Facts: How much soup equals a Serving?
Made the soup and it turned out delicious! I added a splash of Sherry to the mushrooms during the searing. Also, added spinach during the last 2 minutes of cooking. I will definitely make it again!! 😃
I’m inclined to take more shortcuts when I make soup but this is a great recipe if you’re willing to make the effort.
This soup is as good or better than the soup at a Jewish Restaurant/Deli in Deerfield, IL. I’ve made this so many times and my family and friends love it. Thank you Tori!!
I just made this soup and it’s delicious. I used turkey stock from Thanksgiving, twice as much garlic, carrots, celery and dried mushrooms and in addition to the bay leaves used a spring of fresh rosemary. I too added paprika and it is lovely, thick and warming. Just right to start off the new year. Thanks for the recipe which reminded me of my childhood.
I haven’t made your recipe. Growing up mom would make this soup and add beef to it saying that the marrow bone was hers. Decades went by and I’m in England instead of New Jersey. Mom’s gone and I’m a vegetarian. My soup has turned out perfectly. I use fresh and dry mushrooms. It seems easier than yours to make. Now that it’s getting cooler I’ll be making it and on Friday night cholent vegetarian of course. The smell from that at 2am is incredible.
I had been looking for YEARS for a recipe approximating that of a mushroom barley soup I used to have at a local European restaurant. This recipe came the closest with a bit of tweaking. Try to find a good organic mushroom broth as it makes all the difference. Like Jon, I added paprika (smoked hungarian) and more carrots and celery. Like Beth, I used cremini mushrooms for the deeper flavour. I scaled back a bit on the barley as I prefer it somewhat less thick. I never have shitakes so I use porcini instead. After having made this several times, I can confirm that it freezes beautifully but will still keep 4-5 days in the fridge as it is vegetarian. Delicious with a spoonful of sour cream at serving.
Absolutely incredible! The soup was thick, delicious, and just perfect! Never made mushroom barley soup before and this was incredible first taste. So happy I found this recipe!
This recipe is the most amazing tasting mushroom barley soup ever! It is loved by all ages! Just like the New York deli’s! Thank you!!!
Really good and it thickened up nicely. Used better than boullion roasted vegetable for the broth.