Mushroom Barley Soup

This post is a follow-up to On Mushrooms, where I write about fresh mushrooms, but in the time since, I’ve begun to use dried mushrooms more and more–and have also started drying my own, to preserve the harvest, and to be able to buy cultivated mushrooms in bulk, in order to have them on hand. There are a number of sources for dried mushrooms, both on-line and in stores. Wholefoods has a good selection, and they’re not too expensive. I try to source them from the US and Canada if I can, and also buy mushrooms from Central Europe. There are also several mushroom stock concentrates, which would work well with this soup. The dill gives it a Slavic inflection–and dried boletus mushrooms make the richest broth.

Ingredients

8 oz barley
2-3 oz mixed dried wild mushrooms
2 lbs mixed wild or fresh mushrooms
2 medium leeks
4-5 large stalks of celery
4 large carrots, peeled
1 large yellow onion
1/2 cabbage
8 cloves garlic
1 bunch parsley
1.5-2 quarts mushroom or vegetable stock
1/4 each chopped parsley and dill
salt and pepper to taste

Recipe

Put dried mushrooms in a large jar, and add boiled water; let steep for several hours or even over night. Cook barley according to directions, adding a few dried mushrooms for extra flavor. Set aside. Chop rehydrated mushrooms, slice fresh mushrooms, clean and chop leeks, celery, carrots, and onion into small dice. Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive, and add sliced fresh mushrooms, taking care not to add salt. Saute on high heat, turning frequently, until browned on both sides and add rest of chopped vegetables. Season well with salt and pepper, and saute until onions are translucent. Slice cabbage, add to pot, and continue cooking until softened. Mince garlic, and add to vegetables, and cook additional 1-2 minutes. Add stock, and bring to a low boil, set on simmer, and cook for 30-40 minutes on very low heat. Taste and adjust seasonings, and add cooked barley. Stir and simmer additional 10 minutes, add chopped parsley and 1/2 the dill. Serve with sour cream and rest of fresh dill. Omit sour cream for vegan version.