Mushroom & Barley Soup

• 3garlic cloves, minced
• 2carrots, peeled and diced
• 2celery sticks, diced
• 1 tbsptomato purée
• 1large onion, diced
• 1 tspdried thyme
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 200 gpearl barley
• 500 gmixed mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 30 gdried porcini mushrooms
• Fine salt, to taste
• 1litre vegetable stock
• 2 tbspsoy sauce
• 2bay leaves
• 15 gflat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• Black pepper, to taste

Method

1. 1Soak the dried porcini in 200ml of boiling water for 15 minutes until the mushrooms are pliable and the liquid is the colour of strong tea. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid, and roughly chop the mushrooms.
2. 2Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the fresh mushrooms in a single layer; don't crowd the pot, work in two batches if you need to. Water comes out of mushrooms fast, and a packed pan steams them grey instead of browning them.
3. 3Cook the mushrooms in two batches for 6–7 minutes per batch, turning until browned and their liquid has evaporated. Lift out and set aside.
4. 4Drop the heat to medium, add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, then add the onion, carrots, and celery to the same pot. Cook for 7 minutes, adding a splash of water if the vegetables stick, stirring now and then, until softened, glossy, and lifting the fond off the base. Stir in the garlic, thyme, and tomato purée and cook for 90 seconds.
5. 5Add the pearl barley, chopped porcini, and the reserved soaking liquid (pour carefully, leaving the grit at the bottom of the bowl behind). Pour in the vegetable stock, soy sauce and bay leaves.
6. 6Bring to a boil, then drop to a steady simmer. Cover and cook for 35–40 minutes, stirring once or twice so the barley doesn't catch on the base, until the grains are tender with a slight bite and the soup has thickened to a spoon-coating broth.
7. 7Return the browned mushrooms and simmer for 2 minutes until hot throughout. Discard the bay leaves. Taste before adding salt because the soy sauce has seasoned the broth, then add black pepper and finish with the chopped parsley.

Per serving

kcal

332

protein

12.4g

fibre

12.1g

carbs

55.9g

fat

8.3g