Mushroom Barley Soup (Printable)

Hearty soup with shiitake and fresh mushrooms, pearl barley, and vegetables in savory broth.

# What you need:

→ Mushrooms

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

→ Grains

03 - 3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed

→ Aromatics and 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 and 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 make it:

01 - Place dried shiitake mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and cover with 2 cups boiling water. Let soak for 20 minutes until softened. Drain while reserving the soaking liquid, then slice the mushrooms. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove sediment and grit.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and translucent.
03 - Add minced garlic to the softened vegetables and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent browning.
04 - Stir in the fresh white mushrooms and rehydrated shiitake mushrooms. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms begin to release their natural juices.
05 - Add the pearl barley, reserved mushroom soaking liquid, and vegetable broth to the pot. Stir in bay leaves, dried thyme, dried parsley, salt, and pepper until evenly distributed.
06 - Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 50 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the barley is tender and fully cooked.
07 - Remove bay leaves from the soup. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed for balanced flavor.
08 - Ladle soup into individual bowls and garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired. Serve while hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's the kind of soup that fills your whole apartment with an aroma so good you'll want to keep a pot simmering on purpose.
  • One pot, minimal fuss, and you end up with something that feels way more sophisticated than the effort it takes.
  • Naturally vegetarian and dairy-free, but hearty enough that nobody will miss meat or cream.
02 -
  • Don't skip straining the mushroom soaking liquid; grit at the bottom is not a pleasant surprise and ruins an otherwise perfect spoonful.
  • Barley absorbs liquid as it cools, so if you're serving leftovers the next day, add extra broth or water when reheating—soup that's slightly too thin is better than gluey soup.
03 -
  • Always rinse pearl barley before adding it to the pot; it removes excess starch that can cloud your broth and make the final texture less clean.
  • Taste the soup after the barley is completely tender, not before—the seasoning that seemed right at the beginning might need adjustment once everything has melded together.
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