- 4
Ingredients
- 1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 cup hot wter
- 2 tbsp butter or olive oil
- 1 leak, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 1 medium charrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 lb mixed wild and cultivated mushrooms, sliced or cut into chunks
- 6 cups vegetable, chicken or beef broth
- 1/3 cup pearl or pot barley
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- Fresh dill, chopped (optional)
Preparation
Step 1
In a small bowl, combine dried mushrooms with hot water to rehydrate. Soak for at least 30 minutes. Squeeze water from mushrooms and chop coarsley. Strain soaking liquid to remove any grit and set aside.
Place butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leek, carrot, celery and garlic and cook, stirring often until well softened, 6-8 minutes. Add dried and fresh mushrooms and continue to cook for another 6-8 minutes or until mushrooms have released their liquid and it has begun to evaporate. Add broth, mushroom soaking liquid, barley, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until barley is tender,. (Pearl barley will cook more quickly than pot barley). Serve soup sprinkled with dill if desired.