Recipe Name Mushroom-Barley Soup with Cabbage Submitted by dbcarlson
Recipe Description I found this delicious soup in a cookbook called Love Soup by Anna Thomas. She is the author of the well-known book The Vegitarian Epicure.
Quantity 10 Quantity Unit cups
Prep Time (minutes) 15 Cook Time (minutes) 70 Ready In (minutes) 85
 Recipe Nutrition ... build a NutritionPlan with our meal planner  Recipe Nutrition ... build a NutritionPlan with our meal planner
Ingredients
Amount Measure Ingredient
1/4
cuppearl barley
1
teaspoonsea salt
3
tablespoonsolive oil, extra virgin
10
ouncesCremini mushroom
2
teaspoonsunsalted butter, cold
2
clovesgarlic minced
1
dashblack pepper
1
teaspoonthyme, dried
3
tablespoonssherry, dry
3
medium (2-1/2" dia)yellow onions
5
largegreen onions, white and green parts
1/2
head, small (about 4-1/2" dia)Savoy Cabbage, sliced
1
tablespoonparsley flakes
1
teaspoonPaprika, smoked
1
tablespoonlemon juice
4
cupsbroth, vegetable, fat free
Steps
Sequence Step
1Combine barley in a large soup pot with 4 cups water and a teaspoon of sea salt; bring the water to a boil, lower, the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes as you prepare the vegetables
2Peel the onions, halve them, and slice them thinly. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and saute the onions gently, with a sprinkle of salt on medium-low heat for at least half an hour. Stir the onions often as they soften and turn golden brown. don''t try to hurry this process.
3Meanwhile, clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a damp cloth, trim the dry parts from the stems and slice them thinly. Heat the remaining tablespoon oil and the butter in a nonstick pan, stir in the minced garlic for about a minute on high heat, then add the mushrooms and some salt and pepper. Turn down the heat slightly and saute the mushrooms until they sizzles and turn golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the thyme and the sherry and stir until the sherry cooks away.
4Quarter and slice the cabbage. Trim the green onions and slice them into 1/2 inch pieces--you should have about a cup.
5When the onions and mushrooms are nicely browned, add them to the barley in the soup pot along with the vegetable broth. Use a little of the broth to deglaze the mushroom and onion pans, loosening the sticky dark brown bits. Add the cabbage, green onions, parsley and paprika. Let the soup simmer covered, for another half-hour, until the vegetables are tender. If it get too thick, add a little water.
6Stir in the fresh lemon juice, then taste the soup and correct the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. The lemon juice should balance the sweetness of the onions, and the paprika should add just a slight kick of spiciness.