READY IN ABOUT 1¼ hrs

Mushroom Barley Soup

Read Reviews (54)

"This soup is a great way to warm you up on a winter day!" — Kristin

Directions

Bring the barley and water to a boil in a saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, or until tender.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, stir in the onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, and cook 5 minutes more.
Pour in beef broth, and bring soup to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and continue simmering 15 minutes. Stir in barley, and season with salt and pepper before serving.

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PREP 25 mins
COOK 40 mins
READY IN 1 hr 5 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jan 14, 2009

Soup is great! I've made it a few times, but have tweaked it. Don't need to cook barley in a separate pot. Up the amount of Beef stock (can use vegetable stock for vegetarians) to 6 cups. You will always need to add more. Saute as stated, adding mushrooms, then barley. Simmer for about 45 min - 1 hr. Saves a pot to clean & time is the same. Also vary the types of mushrooms - I've used Shitake, Cremini & Baby Bellas combined. Comes out even more heavenly!

—Jazzy Woman

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Mar 18, 2010

This soup is a good base recipe but I really feel it's overrated. As some other reviewers have noted the result has a hearty consistency but is bland. To make it special but keep it healthy I added 2/3 cup of sherry (red wine would also do nicely), two minced cloves of garlic to the onion sautee, and then minced a sprig of fresh rosemary (fresh tarragon or chopped fresh Italian parsley might also be nice). If you want a richer flavor consider using butter instead of olive oil to sautee the onions and garlic. This revised recipe would rate 4-5 stars but I can only give the original recipe 3 stars because it's just not exceptional without significant tinkering.

—robepp

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69 Ratings

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May 06, 2008

This soup was absolutely delicious. I made it vegetarian by using a vegetable broth ("World's Greatest Vegetable Broth" by Tom West) instead of the beef broth. Wonderful!

—Jenn

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Feb 08, 2008

This was so so delicious. I used a couple of different types of mushrooms which added interest. Looking forward to leftovers today with the soup!

—katsulis

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Feb 18, 2008

thanks so much for this recipe. i love mushrooms but don't like creamy variations too often. this has a real versatility to it. i added one garlic clove and a bit of thyme and only made a half recipe.

—unexpectedtriumphs

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Nov 03, 2009

Nice, nice recipe. Using a previous reviewer's suggestion I didn't precook the barley but cooked it in the broth instead. I doubled the carrot, used 1# sliced criminis, used 6 cups of broth (half beef/half chicken), then added my 1 cup of barley. I let the whole thing simmer for 45-50 minutes, adding 1 cup more of water along the way- but it could have used a bit more since the barley soaked up a lot. The final broth flavor could have used more of a boost, so next time I'll add a couple teaspoons of the old standby - poultry seasoning. Finally, I placed some thinly sliced baby spinach in the bottom of the bowl before ladling in the soup. Gave it another layer of veggies. Very nice overall.

—BIANKAT

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Nov 21, 2008

Very good, but I would suggest chopping the mushrooms. Sliced, they were, I hate to say it because it's not like they tasted bad, but they had a somewhat slimey consistency which I did not care for. I would leave everything else the same.

—L.T.

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Jan 14, 2010

This is a very tasty and easy soup to make. I washed but didn't cook the barley in advance and added 2 cloves of chopped garlic to the other vegetables. Note - the day after the soup really thickens - as the barley soaks up a lot of the fluids. Just add boiling water, salt and pepper when re-heating and the soup will be just as good and last a little longer!

—d gidron

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Nutrition

Calories
194 kcal
10%

Carbohydrates
30.5 g
10%

Cholesterol
0 mg
0%

Fat
4.9 g
8%

Fiber
7.4 g
29%

Protein
9.6 g
19%

Sodium
882 mg
35%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Mushroom Barley Soup

Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 194
Calories from Fat: 44

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 4.9g 8 %
Saturated Fat 0.9g 5 %
Cholesterol 0mg 0 %
Sodium 882mg 35 %
Potassium 667mg 19 %
Total Carbohydrates 30.5g 10 %
Dietary Fiber 7.4g 29 %
Protein 9.6g 19 %
Sugars 4g
Vitamin A 35 %
Vitamin C 10 %
Calcium 6 %
Iron 21 %
Thiamin 32 %
Niacin 64 %
Vitamin B6 18 %
Magnesium 22 %
Folate 21 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.