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White bowl of mushroom barley soup for featured image.
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5 from 11 votes

Mushroom Barley Soup

Hearty and delicious mushroom barley soup is loaded with cremini and shitake mushrooms, vegetables, barley, and fresh thyme.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 35 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Author: James Delmage and Tara

Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 ounce gourmet dried mushrooms reconstituted in hot water then drained
  • 1 pound cremini mushrooms sliced
  • 1/2 pound shitake mushrooms sliced
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 2 ribs celery diced
  • 4 medium carrots diced
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 10 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
  • 2 large bay leaves
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 cup pearl barley
  • 1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley minced
  • 2 teaspoons white or red miso paste plus more to taste
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Heat a large heavy pot to a touch higher than medium heat and add the olive oil. Once shimmering add all of the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushroom release their water and start to brown (about 20 minutes).
  • Add the onion, celery, and carrot to the pot and cook until softened (about 10 minutes) then add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
  • Add the white wine and turn the heat to high. Reduce by half (about 2 minutes) and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to remove all of the flavor bits.
  • Add the vegetable stock, thyme, and bay leaves to the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling turn the heat down to a simmer and add the barley.
  • Cook at a simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until tender (about 50-60 minutes). Taste test along the way and once the barley is tender, remove the pot from the heat. Discard the bay leaves and thyme stems.
  • Place the miso paste into a small bowl and add 1 cup of the soup broth. Whisk until the miso paste completely dissolves then add it back to the soup.
  • Taste test and adjust salt and pepper if required. If the soup is too thick, add water or extra vegetable broth to thin it to personal preference. Add the parsley before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

  • This recipe makes 6 large bowls.
  • This recipe is vegan.  Feel free to sub chicken stock or beef stock if you like.
  • Add more liquid such as vegetable broth or water after cooking to thin out the soup if needed.
  • Leftovers can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated on the stovetop or microwave.

Nutrition

Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 36.6g | Protein: 15.5g | Fat: 13.2g | Saturated Fat: 1.7g | Sodium: 359mg | Potassium: 1534mg | Fiber: 9.1g | Sugar: 12.3g | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 12mg