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Mushroom Barley Soup (Krupnik)

December 08, 2021
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Reprinted, with permission, from The Jewish Cookbook by Leah Koenig (Phaidon, 2019).

Featured in: When It Comes to Soup, Looks Aren’t Everything

Ingredients

  • ½oz (15 g) dried porcini mushrooms
  • 1cup (240 ml) boiling water
  • cup (75 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1large yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2large carrots, finely chopped
  • 2celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 6garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1lb (455 g) cremini or white button mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
  • 1tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1bay leaf
  • 1tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, plus more as needed
  • 7cups (1.65 liters) vegetable stock
  • ½cup (100 g) pearl barley, rinsed
  • Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for serving
Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Preparation

  • Step 1

    Place the dried porcini in a heatproof bowl and cover with the boiling water. Let stand until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon, rinse well, drain, and roughly chop. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth, reserving the liquid and discarding any sediment.

  • Step 2

    Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6-8 minutes. Add the porcini and cremini mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly browned, 7-10 minutes.

  • Step 3

    Add the thyme, bay leaf, vinegar, soy sauce, reserved soaking liquid, stock, and barley. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the barley is tender, about 40 minutes.

  • Step 4

    Taste, then season with a generous amount of black pepper and a little more soy sauce, if needed. Serve hot, topped with parsley.