Mushroom Barley Soup

A family favorite on chilly days, this recipe makes about 8 -10 servings. Quantities can be varied according to your preferences.

6 cups stock (chicken or vegetable—you may use bouillon cubes, purchased stock, or make your own...see below)
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 TBS. olive oil
1/2 cup pearl barley
1 pound fresh mushrooms, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
Dried porcini mushrooms (optional)
1-2 strips wakame, cut into small pieces (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onions and garlic in 1 TBS olive oil until transparent. Add barley and stir to coat with oil. Add stock and wakame.

Bring just to a boil then simmer for about an hour until barley is tender. Add mushrooms, carrots and celery, and dried mushroom if using them.

Simmer another 20-30 minutes. Season and serve.

—Deb Siner

Making your own stock:

Wash and chop all the vegetables (see below). Don’t peel them as the peel adds color and flavor. Combine in pot with water, bring just to a boil, and simmer for 2-3 hrs. A hard boil makes the veggies bitter. Strain out all the vegetables and discard. All the goodness is now in the stock, which you can use immediately or freeze for later use. You can add other vegetables to make the stock, but nothing in the broccoli/ cabbage/Brussels sprout family—the flavors are too strong.

Makes about 3 quarts.

12 cups water
3 carrots
2 large potatoes
1 large onion
2 celery stalks
1 apple
1 bay leaf
2+ cloves of garlic
12 peppercorns
bunch parsley
1 tomato