This basic soup is simple, hearty and healthy. Make a large pot and freeze some for convenient, quick meals.
The mushrooms you use can be a medley or just one kind. Mushrooms, with their fiber, minerals and B vitamins, have served as food and medicine for ages. Barley adds fiber and its chewiness holds up in soups — it not only thickens the soup as it cooks, but also adds a silky feel.
The amount of mushrooms seems like a lot, but they reduce considerably as they cook. Making dried shiitakes part of your mix will boost flavor. Rehydrate before sauteing, using 1/3 cup dried shiitakes as part of the total mushroom measurement.
If miso is not a standard in your fridge, use soy sauce to add even more umami to this soup. Neither flavor should be readily detectable.
If you end up with leftovers, adding thyme or other herbs and chopped veggies will dress up this soup when reheating it for another meal. Also, when reheating, you may need to add more liquid as the barley will continue to thicken.
Mushroom Barley Soup
Ingredients:
• 8 cups (2 quarts) vegetable broth
• Salt, pepper and mushroom seasoning, to taste
• 2 cups cooked barley
• 3 cups mushrooms, half sliced and half diced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2-3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1-2 tablespoons miso, or substitute soy sauce
Directions:
Heat broth; taste and add seasonings as needed. Add barley; cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, saute mushrooms in butter and garlic, browning them well. Work in batches so as not to crowd the pan. Do not let garlic burn; discard immediately if it does. Add mushrooms to broth; stir to mix well. Continue cooking for 20 minutes. Lower temperature to simmer.
Remove 1/2 cup soup. Add miso to this portion and stir to dissolve. Return mixture to the pot. (If substituting soy sauce, just add it to the pot.) Simmer 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings (miso or soy sauce flavor should be subtle).
Serves 8-10.
Approximate nutrient analysis per serving (based on 10 servings not including salt, pepper and mushroom seasoning or optional ingredients): 90 calories, 3 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 700 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 2 g protein. Nutritional analysis provided by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.
The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation is an international nonprofit with a local office in Kaimuki. Its mission of community service includes the promotion of a healthy vegetarian lifestyle. To learn more, visit facebook.com/hawaiitzuchi or call 808-737-8885.
