Mushroom and Barley Soup

Mushroom and barley soup was mentioned in the book Loamhedge as the otter cook Toran tried to cheer up the hare Martha. It's a wonderful, filling soup that's great for cold nights. It takes a while to cook, but most of the time is hands-off, so it's still pretty easy.

Mushroom and Barley Soup

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 red onion
• 4 ounces shittake mushrooms
• 1 tbsp oil
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup pearled barley (don't use instant -- I found the real stuff in the kosher section of my grocery store, not with the other grains)
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried
• Water

Directions

1. Mince the garlic and finely chop the onion.
   
2. Remove the stems of the mushrooms and thinly slice the caps.
   
3. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute the garlic and onions for 5 minutes, or until starting to brown.
   
4. Add the sliced mushrooms and saute for another 5 minutes.
   
5. Add the vegetable stock, barley, and thyme, then reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer for 40 minutes. At the end, you want the barley to be like al dente pasta -- no longer crunchy and uncooked, but still providing some resistance to your teeth. You don't want mushy, overcooked barley.
    
6. Add water (or more broth, if you prefer) until the soup reaches your preferred consistency -- I added about a cup and a half. Heat briefly, then serve.