The weather has been pretty nuts here lately. Not that I’m complaining, with my absolute hate of the bitter cold. But it seems a bit odd to me when the days of January are sporting temperatures in the 50’s and (low) 60’s; and that oddness is compounded when you’re eating stews and other wintry-themed dished. Madness!
Heather and I have both been trying to expand our horizons this year; returning to ingredients that we have less than pleasant feelings towards. One of the big ones for me is the mushroom. It’s a friggin’ fungus! As a friend of mine once said: “you might as well lick the bottom of your shoe.” To be fair, I’ve been slowly coming around to these suckers. The stock I made for Slow Cooker week was quite successful and Lost Dog Cafe has, by far, the best veggie burger I have ever had (WITH mushrooms). So here I go, jumping into the world of mushrooms!
Barley is not an ingredient you see very often in recipes, which is a shame. Pearled barley is simple, healthy grain to work with and has a nutty flavor with a chewy texture. It serves as an excellent thickener too. I used this to complement some white button mushrooms. And the result? A tasty mushroom soup I’ll actually enjoy eating! The flavor is subtle, but delicious.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion; chopped
1 carrot; diced
1 stalk celery; diced
1 cup pearl barley; rinsed and drained
10 oz mushrooms; cleaned and sliced (I used white button)
6 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 fresh chives
salt and black pepper to taste
Heat a large stock pot under medium heat and cook the onion, carrot and celery with olive oil until softened; approximately 5-8 minutes. Add your remaining ingredients and simmer until the barley is soft but chewy. Serve and enjoy!
