This Hearty, Rustic Mushroom Barley Soup will cancel out all the feelings you have about how cold and dark it is right now (in terms of winter temperatures … unfortunately not in terms of society.)
Ingredients
8 Tbs butter, divided
1½ cups sliced shallots (about 5 shallots)
1 lb. button mushrooms, washed and sliced
½ cup crème fraîche
2¼ cups chicken broth
1 tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1 tsp salt, divided
8 oz. baby portobello mushrooms
1 cup pearled barley
1 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 baguette, sliced, buttered, and grilled
2 Tbs chopped fresh chives
Directions
- Melt 6 Tbs butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté them until they’re decidedly soft, 3 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms, turn the heat to med-hi, and stir throuroughly to coat the mushrooms in butter. Cook until they soften, 5-6 minutes.
- Add the crème fraîche, broth, and 2¼ cups of water. Stir. Add thyme, pepper, and ½ tsp salt. Bring to a simmer. Reduce to med-low, and cook, covered, 20 minutes. Then cook uncovered until the mushrooms are very soft, 20 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, remove the stems from the baby portobellos. Roughy chop the stems and sauté them over medium heat in 1 Tbs butter until soft, 4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Add remaining 1 Tbs butter to the pan and sauté the caps until browned and soft, 8 minutes. Set aside.
- Pour the barley, oil, and ½ tsp salt into an Instant Pot. Add 2 cups of water. Set the pot to MUTLIGRAIN, more (20 minutes), high (pressure); Quick Release and KEEP WARM.
- Transfer the soup to a blender and process 20 seconds on low speed, 40 seconds on medium speed, and 40 seconds on high speed, until the soup is as smooth as you can get it. (You may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your blender.) Transfer the soup back to the pot.
- Over lowest heat, stir in the reserved portobello stems and barley. Stir in Dijon and Worchestershire. Correct seasoning. Serve garnished with reserved portobello caps and chives, accompanied with toasts.
This is as guest-worthy a soup as you can imagine, with a cozy, wintry, modern bistro vibe. It’s deeply savory and satisfying without being heavy. It’s both rustic and refined, rich and bright, comforting and quietly sophisticated.
I love the dual mushroom layer: not just in the soup base, but also in the huge hits from the sautéed caps. I also love the body that comes from the barley, which makes this soup feel like a meal in a bowl.
Hearty, Rustic Mushroom Barley Soup
Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. References: Andrew Carmellini, “Cream of Mushroom Soup,” in American Flavor (New York: HarperCollins, 2011), 45. Also, Bowl of Delicious. Thank you, Kesor. Thank you, ⌘+C. Make It Like a Man! is ranked by Feedspot as #5 in the Top 30 Men’s Cooking Blogs.
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Delicious! I used hulled barley, just cause it’s better for you, but I love your recipe!
I would probably use it too, if I could find it! All I ever seem to find is pearled!
Mmm that looks good.. perfect for these cold cold days we are having.
Absolutely! It’s thick and rich, and a perfect warm-up.
Even with runs of days when it’s >40 °C I can appreciate this sort of soup.
To be fair, on hot days, I’m pulling cold meat from the refrigerator and eating slices rather than creating soups. 😊
Do you really have temps 40C and over? Yipes, that’s hot! I don’t think I’d be eating soup on those days!
Yep, the other week it was 47 °C outside my place.
That’s amazing. It never gets that hot where I live. I don’t think I’d like it!
This sounds truly wonderful.
Thanks, Anne!
I am excited by your soup recipe Geoff. I use barley and mushrooms a lot in my chicken soup, but I really like how you have extended the ingredients to include creme fraiche, and Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Yum! I’m storing this one away for our cooler weather.
Thank you, Pauline! Where I live, we’re having all that cold weather right now, and I’m loving this soup!
I haven’t made Risotto in ages! Your beautiful recipe is just the push I needed! I think I’ll make this for lunch today.
OK!
This looks absolutely fantastic, Jeff. I have always loved my mother’s mushroom barley soup but you have taken it to a new level. Absolutely guest worthy! I love the garnish of the baby Bellas — so elegant. I am putting this on our menu for next week.
Oh good Lord! I hope you love it! I think it’s quite good, but I have feeling you’ll turn it into something even better!
I love the nutty chewy texture of barley! This sounds and looks fabulous.
Thank you, Angie!
Mmmm, this sounds great. Worcestershire and mustard, YES! And mushroom & barley is such a great combo.
It’s a delicious soup!
That sounds amazing for this time of year.
This soup is hitting all the right winter notes, Jeff, that blend of creamy, blended mushroom base with the chewy barley and those sautéed baby bellas on top just sounds like pure comfort in a bowl.
You’re absolutely speaking my language here. Even if it can’t fix all ills of society, a comforting bowlful of umami mushroom soup can certainly help you forget about it for a little while.
You said it!
Nunca he utilizado la cebada en mis recetas, Has preparado un guiso delicioso. Un abrazo
Ah, well, if you can get your hands on some, give it a try! I has a kind of nutty flavor and a really nice chew. Plus, I think it might be good for you. It really makes a soup like this more substantial.
The sauteed caps elevate the presentation of this classic soup, Jeff. Well done! It’s starting to warm up slightly here, but I think a bowl of this soup would still be quite welcome for lunch today!
Thanks, David!
So hearty and satisfying!
Thank you, Kelly!