This vegetarian Mushroom Barley Soup made with white mushrooms, vegetables, and vegetable broth is so hearty, you can eat it as a meal.
Most people are either on the love or hate train when it comes to mushrooms. Me? I LOVE them which is why I add them to a lot of my recipes like this Mushroom Barley Soup.
Before I share one of my favorite recipes with you, I thought I'd explain some of the most common mushroom varieties in your local grocery store.
What are the different types of mushrooms?
- Agaricus also known as the white button mushroom, is one of the most common mushrooms seen in your local grocery store and is readily available year round. It’s very versatile when cooking and can be eaten raw and cooked.
- Chanterelle is a vase shaped mushroom with a nutty, delicate flavor. Fresh Chanerelle’s are fairly expensive so you see them frequently in dried form. Uses include sauces and risottos and when cooking, you should add them later in the process to avoid becoming too tough.
- Crimini mushrooms have a rich, earthy flavor and are used to add a more robust flavor to your dishes.
- Shiitake mushrooms look like little umbrellas and are also know as Chinese black mushrooms. More commonly used in dishes that are sautéed, broiled or baked; however, it is recommended that the stems be removed prior to cooking.
- Oyster mushrooms resemble a fan and have a delicate flavor. The caps are thin and cook quickly, so add them towards the end of your cooking process. These are most commonly used in stir fry dishes.
- Enoki mushrooms have long stems and tiny white caps, and can be used in sandwiches, salads and garnishes. When cooking, add them towards the end of your cooking process so that they don’t get too tough.
- Portabello These are the most commonly purchased mushrooms available commercially and are the mature version of the Crimini mushroom. They have a meaty texture and can be used whole, sliced, grilled, or baked. but remember to trim the stem before using.
- Porcini mushrooms look like a toadstool and have a strong flavor. They are generally more expensive and can also be found dried.
- Morel mushrooms are relative to the truffle and are spongy with a smoky earthy flavor. The darker the mushroom, the more pungent the flavor.
How do you make Mushroom Barley Soup?
For this Mushroom Barley soup recipe I used Agaricus or white button mushrooms, onion, celery, carrots, EVOO, all purpose flour, vegetable broth, barley, and parsley.
I tend to use white button mushrooms more frequently in my recipes than most of the other varieties. However, I also use Portobello mushrooms second as I don't care for the earthy flavor of some other varieties.
The white mushrooms used in this soup softened nicely and combined with the barley and vegetables, gave this hearty vegetarian soup a wonderful, aromatic flavor.
Start by heating the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven and add the mushrooms, onion, celery and carrots. Sweat the vegetables until they start to soften and become translucent, approximately 5-8 minutes; then add the flour.
Next, add the vegetable broth and barley; then bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until the barley has fully expanded. Season with salt and pepper.
This recipe for Mushroom Barley Soup serves 4 and you can also add leftover roast beef or chicken for a non vegetarian option. Though the barley makes it super hearty on its own. ~Enjoy!
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Mushroom Barley Soup
Ingredients
- 10 ounces white mushrooms (rinsed and sliced)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
- 1 stalk celery (rinsed and sliced)
- ½ cup carrots (peeled and sliced)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- ¼ cup pearled barley (rinsed under cold water)
- 1 tablespoon Italian Parsley, chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot and add in the mushrooms, onion, celery and carrots. Sweat until the vegetables start to soften; approximately 5-8 minutes.
- Stir in the flour, then add the vegetable broth and barley; mix well.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until the barley has fully expanded. Season with salt and pepper.
Nutrition
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Bobbi says
Thank you so much for sharing this on Manic Monday. I wish I had a bowl right now!!!
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
You're welcome Bobbi, glad you liked it! 🙂
Aunt B says
Nice post. Lots of good information here and the recipe looks tasty too. Thanks.
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
Thank you for stopping by to let me know. 🙂
Bobbi says
Hi Carrie 🙂 just wanted to let you know that your soup is featured on this weeks Manic Monday
http://bobbiskozykitchen.blogspot.com/2012/10/i-cant-believe-that-it-is-almost.html
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
Thank you so much Bobbi!
Barbars says
Can you substitute rice for the barley? If so would the proportion be the same?
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
You sure can and yes, you can add the same amount of long grain rice. If using instant, you may want to add a bit more.
Abigail Larson says
What kind of barley did you use?
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
Dried barley in a bag like Goya for example.
Patricia Scott says
Can you freeze this recipe?
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
You can freeze this recipe in an airtight container once completely cooled for up to 3 months.
Hdar Yashar says
O! M! G! This soup is delicious! My husband doesn't like beef and my kids really wanted a beef & barley soup. So I made this recipe for him (while we ate the beef & barley) and we ALL loved it! Simple scrumptious. I substituted cabbage for the mushrooms (my hubby also doesn't like mushrooms). It still was amazing! Thank you for sharing.
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
Great substitution, I'm so glad everyone enjoyed the recipe!