Mushroom Barley Soup Greenbowl2Soul

What’s needed to make mushroom barley soup?

To make this easy barley soup with mushrooms, you will need the ingredients shown below: Today, I am sharing the recipe for a very tasty barley soup that’s so filling that we enjoy it as a meal. The recipe is mushroom barley soup with cherry tomatoes. The different textures of ingredients used in this soup make it even more interesting. If you are looking for a hearty, one-pot meal recipe then this barley soup recipe is a must-try. It can be enjoyed by vegans and vegetarians too.

Ingredient notes

Mushrooms: I have used both brown and white mushrooms because I had both in my fridge when I made this soup. You can use either of them. Pearl barley: It’s the barley whose outer hull is removed and then it’s polished. Pearl barley is used in soups because it gets cooked faster in comparison to hulled barley. Cherry tomatoes: You can also use roughly chopped regular tomatoes but cherry tomatoes give this soup a better texture and taste. It also makes this soup look more appealing. Cilantro: If you don’t like cilantro, use parsley. Seasonings: I have used dried basil, oregano, cumin powder, chili flakes, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper to flavor this barley soup. You can use herbs and spices of your choice to flavor it. Vegetable stock: For a more mushroomy flavor, use mushroom stock.

Other ingredient details and nutritional information are shared in the recipe card.

How to make (step by step process)?

Step 1: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a cooking pot. Step 2: Add chopped mushrooms and saute for 7-8 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked. Step 3: Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a bowl. Step 4: In the same cooking pot, heat the remaining ½ a tablespoon of olive oil and add chopped onion. Cook until it becomes translucent. Step 5: Add chopped celery, carrot, and minced garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Step 6: Add chili flakes, dried oregano, basil, cumin powder, black pepper, and bay leaves. Saute for a few seconds. Step 7: Add pearl barley and saute it for a minute. Step 8: Add vegetable stock and salt. Mix everything. Step 9: Cover the pot and cook on a medium flame for 35-40 minutes. Step 10: Add sauteed mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. Cook for another 6-7 minutes. Step 11: Add chopped cilantro/ parsley and lemon juice. Step 12: Remove the bay leaves before serving. Your hearty barley mushroom soup is ready to be enjoyed.

Serving mushroom barley soup

Serve this soup hot or warm with some toasted bread, garlic bread, dinner roll, or any bread of your choice. A fresh salad like tabbouleh, or fattoush also goes well with it. You can also serve roasted vegetables or a side dish like these oven-baked potato wedges with barley soup.

Storing, freezing, and re-heating tips

To store, transfer this soup to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. It freezes well too. Freeze in batch-size freezer-safe containers for 3-4 months. To reheat, thaw and transfer to a cooking pot. Add some hot broth or water to adjust the consistency and cook until nicely heated. You can also reheat it in the microwave. For that, transfer the thawed soup to a microwave-safe container. Add some hot liquid and microwave for a few minutes, stirring after every 1-2 minutes until the soup gets evenly heated.

Recipe tips and tricks

Don’t make very small pieces of mushrooms, they will shrink in size after getting sauteed. You can also mix different varieties of mushrooms to use in this soup. To give an interesting texture to this soup, finely chop half of the mushrooms, saute them separately, and then add to the soup with the remaining bite-size sauteed mushrooms. Don’t overcook cherry tomatoes otherwise their outer skin will come out and they will turn very mushy. For extra, mushroom flavor, use mushroom stock. You can also add mushroom powder to it.