Mushroom Barley Soup (Printable)

Hearty soup featuring shiitake and white mushrooms with pearl barley in aromatic vegetable broth.

# What You'll Need:

→ Mushrooms

01 - 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
02 - 8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced

→ Grains

03 - 3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed

→ Aromatics & Vegetables

04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 1 medium onion, diced
06 - 2 medium carrots, diced
07 - 2 celery stalks, diced
08 - 3 garlic cloves, minced

→ Broth & Seasonings

09 - 8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
10 - 2 bay leaves
11 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1 teaspoon dried parsley
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

14 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# How-To Steps:

01 - Place dried shiitake mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and cover with 2 cups boiling water. Let soak for 20 minutes. Drain and reserve the soaking liquid, then slice the mushrooms. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve to remove grit.
02 - In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
03 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Stir in fresh sliced mushrooms and soaked shiitake mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes until mushrooms begin to release their juices.
05 - Add pearl barley, reserved mushroom soaking liquid, and vegetable broth. Stir in bay leaves, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper.
06 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 50 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until barley is tender.
07 - Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The combination of dried shiitakes and fresh mushrooms creates this incredible depth that store-bought soups can never replicate.
  • Its one of those magical recipes where the leftovers actually taste better the next day as the barley and mushrooms continue their flavor tango overnight.
02 -
  • Always strain the mushroom soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve or your soup will have an unpleasant gritty texture I learned this the hard way after ruining an entire batch.
  • The soup will thicken substantially as it sits, sometimes turning almost stew-like overnight, so keep extra broth on hand for reheating.
03 -
  • Make this soup a day ahead if possible, as the flavors meld beautifully overnight and youll have an even more flavorful result.
  • Save mushroom stems in the freezer until you have enough to make a quick stock, then use that instead of vegetable broth for an even more intense mushroom flavor.
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